Nebraska upset No. 1 Purdue 88-72 on Tuesday evening for this system’s first win over the nation’s top-ranked workforce since 1982. The Cornhuskers (13-3, 3-2 Huge Ten) made a season-high 14 pictures from 3-point vary and validated their sturdy begin with a marquee victory.
The end result ended a seven-game successful streak for the Boilermakers (14-2, 3-2), who’re of their fourth straight week atop the polls. Purdue didn’t undergo its second Huge Ten loss final season till Feb. 4 whereas successful the league by three video games. After falling to the Cornhuskers for the primary time since December 2019, the Boilermakers discover themselves within the thick of the convention standings by means of 1 / 4 of the league slate.
Purdue led 28-25 with 3:44 remaining within the first half when star heart Zach Edey went to the bench after selecting up his second foul. With out him, the Boilermakers surrendered a 16-2 run to shut the half and entered the break trailing 41-30.
Unfazed, Purdue started the second half on a 20-10 surge, chopping the deficit to 51-50 with 13:51 remaining. However Nebraska took the blow in stride and promptly rebuilt the lead behind an 11-0 spurt highlighted by 9 factors from C.J. Wilcher. The junior guard offered a prompt the bench and helped the Cornhuskers preserve tempo with a Purdue workforce that hit 13 of 33 pictures from 3-point vary. Wilcher scored 16 whereas Rienk Mast scored 18. Keisei Tominaga led all scorers with 19 for Nebraska.
When the Boilermakers suffered their solely different loss, a 92-88 time beyond regulation defeat at Northwestern on Dec. 1, they struggled with a season-high 17 turnovers. Taking good care of the basketball was an issue once more for Purdue on Tuesday as Nebraska loved a 14-9 edge in turnovers, which helped create a 13-1 benefit in fast-break factors.
Purdue’s issues
Nebraska transformed Purdue’s turnovers into 18 factors, and a few of these expensive blunders got here at notably inopportune moments. Sam Hoiberg, the son of Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg and a former walk-on, picked up three steals for the Cornhuskers, two of which led on to quick break layups. Each performs served to ignite the house crowd within the midst of huge runs, the primary one coming amid Nebraska’s run to shut the primary half and the second coming amid the workforce’s second-half surge.
Although answerable for simply 5 of these turnovers, the Boilermakers’ sophomore guard duo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer did not have its most interesting evening. Purdue was outscored by 22 factors in Smith’s 35 minutes and by 25 in Loyer’s 21 minutes. The 2 mixed to shoot simply 6 of 19 from the ground. Finally, there is no such thing as a motive for Purdue to panic. Each its losses have come on the highway towards opponents capturing 50% or higher from 3-point vary.
Validating Nebraska’s rise
Nebraska began 7-0 and nonetheless sported a 12-3 report getting into Tuesday evening’s recreation. However skepticism over the Cornhuskers’ legitimacy was warranted. Their nonconference schedule was ranked No. 353 at KenPom.com, and all three of their losses getting into Tuesday evening’s showdown got here by double digits.
For a program that has made one NCAA Event look within the twenty first century and has but to submit a successful season in 5 seasons beneath Hoiberg, skepticism is the norm. Now, there’s motive to consider Nebraska is in for a breakthrough season. Whereas the 60.9% 3-point capturing proportion the Cornhuskers loved Tuesday will scarcely be repeatable, this workforce is proving to be no fluke. Wins towards Michigan State, Kansas State, Indiana and now Purdue present that Hoiberg lastly has a workforce able to contending for an at-large bid to the NCAA Event.
Tumultuous evening
Purdue’s loss, coupled with No. 2 Houston’s loss at Iowa State, made for a chaotic evening in school basketball. These outcomes might open the door for No. 3 Kansas to get an uptick in first-place votes subsequent week after the Jayhawks obtained two of 63 doable votes on this week’s balloting. Kansas performs at UCF on Wednesday and hosts No. 9 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Not solely did Purdue’s loss muddy the image atop the rankings, however it additionally made issues fascinating within the Huge Ten. Purdue is the heavy favourite to repeat because the league’s common season champion, however it might get fascinating. Wisconsin is off to a 3-0 begin in league play getting into Wednesday evening’s recreation at Ohio State. The Badgers and Boilermakers meet twice in what might prove as consequential video games within the league title race.
