Purdue’s attempt to return to the AP Top 25 is off to a rocky start.
The Boilermakers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 1976 after a double overtime Friday night against Valparaiso.
The Boilermakers, who opened the season with a loss to No. 15 Gonzaga, reportedly paid $90,000 to play their second game of the campaign against Valpo.
Valparaiso true freshman Rakim Chaney scored a career-high 35 points while Purdue’s Caden Pierce and Omer Mayer combined for just four. Here’s a look at the top players from Friday’s surprise.
Purdue took a 19-4 lead over Valpo in a dominant first half in which the home team held the visitors to just two field goals in 20 minutes.
Things started to fall apart in the second half as Purdue’s defense struggled to contain Valparaiso. The visitors chipped away at the lead before leveling the score at 48 points five and a half minutes from time.
Cox missed a chance to make the go-ahead three-pointer shortly before the game entered its first overtime.
Chaney intervened by sending the game into double overtime with a three-point basket.
Chaney fouled out in double overtime before Justus McNair hit his team’s second buzzer of the game to secure the upset victory.
Purdue was ranked 28th in the preseason AP poll, breaking a streak of 79 consecutive weeks in the Top 25.
The Boilermakers will need to start turning things around quickly, starting with a home game Monday against Illinois State, in order to return to ranked status after the first 0-2 start of Matt Painter’s coaching career.
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