Purdue entered Friday’s game against Valparaiso as a 19.5-point favorite
Another major upset in college basketball headlined on Friday night in West Lafayette, Indiana, when Valparaiso handed Purdue a stunning 83-80 loss in double overtime. With the game tied at 80 in the final seconds, Valpo guard Justus McNair knocked down a corner 3-pointer as time expired to hand Purdue its second loss of the season.
Valpo sent the game to double overtime after Rakim Chaney knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 70. The Boilermakers led by as many as 15 points in the first half.
The Boilermakers were 19.5-point favorites against Valparaiso and are now 0-2 for the first time since the 1976-77 season. Purdue is the latest high-major team to suffer a stunning loss during the opening week of the season. On opening night, Oklahoma lost to East Texas A&M as a 28.5-point favorite.
Purdue was riding a 23-game home winning streak during November. The loss to Valpo marked the first loss against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent at Mackey Arena since 1978, when Purdue lost to a Larry Bird-led Indiana State team.
The Boilermakers are in the midst of a major transition after Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer departed the program. That trio was among the most experienced in the sport and helped Purdue reach the Elite Eight in their final season together. Kaufman-Renn, of course, is playing his sixth season of college basketball with Kansas after being granted a motion for a preliminary injunction against the NCAA.
