Purdue basketball once again staggered down the stretch, leading skeptics to double down on their March Madness fraud claims. But the No. 13 Boilermakers earned a signature win nonetheless. Despite blowing a 22-point lead, Matt Painter's team earned an 80-77 overtime victory over No. 7 Nebraska on Tuesday night. Purdue's triumph in Lincoln, or rather escape, earned the program a noteworthy feat.
The Boilermakers have multiple road wins against top-10 opponents for the second time in the AP poll era (1948-49), according to the ESPN Insights X account. Besides besting the Cornhuskers, they rolled into Tuscaloosa and beat an Alabama squad that was ranked No. 8 on Nov. 13. Purdue is not going to score high in any beauty pageants, but its ability to win ugly could come in handy during the NCAA Tournament.
Or, the team's erratic play could put it on a flight back home before the second weekend. The wide-ranging outcomes are a longstanding part of the Boilermakers experience, one that fans are used to by now. Purdue destroyed Texas Tech, got obliterated by Iowa State, blew several opportunities in a three-game stretch that featured losses to UCLA, Illinois and Indiana, barely survived last-place Oregon and then beat possibly the best Nebraska squad ever.
No one knows quite what to expect when this team takes the court, but fans can usually bank on a Boilermakers W. This group is not performing up to its standard, and yet, it owns a 20-4 record.
Purdue basketball shows a different side of itself in Nebraska
While fans are right to be frustrated, this outcome could give Purdue basketball immense confidence heading into the final seven games of the regular season. The program's tenacity shined through in Pinnacle Bank Arena. The team shot 37 percent from the field and 28 percent from behind the 3-point line, forcing it to find another route to victory.
The Boilermakers posted a whopping 54 rebounds, 21 of which were of the offensive variety, out-muscling the Cornhuskers on their own floor. Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff combined for 33 boards, with the latter posting a double-double and two blocks. Purdue ranks outside of the top-150 in rebounding this season, which illustrates the truly mysterious nature of this team.
Though, perhaps adaptable is the better word. These road warriors are finding a way. The Boilermakers could be pushed to their limits again when they square off with Iowa (18-5) this Saturday.
