Valparaiso pulled off a stunning 83-80 upset over Purdue in double overtime on Friday night in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Boilermakers, 19.5-point favorites, fell to 0-2 for the first time since the 1976-77 season.
With the game tied at 80 in the final seconds of the second overtime, Valpo guard Justus McNair knocked down a corner 3-pointer as time expired to seal the victory. The dramatic finish came after Valparaiso's Rakim Chaney had forced the extra period with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to tie the game at 70 at the end of the first overtime.
Purdue had led by as many as 15 points in the first half and was riding a 23-game home winning streak during the month of November. The loss marked the first time Purdue has lost to a Missouri Valley Conference opponent at Mackey Arena since 1978, when a Larry Bird-led Indiana State team prevailed.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a major transition following the departures of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer, a trio that helped Purdue reach the Elite Eight last season. Kaufman-Renn is now playing his sixth season of college basketball at Kansas after being granted a preliminary injunction against the NCAA.
Purdue's defeat adds to a week of major upsets in college basketball, including Oklahoma's loss to East Texas A&M as a 28.5-point favorite on opening night.
