Life 2 Sports
Basketball

No. 1 Purdue Upset by Unranked Rutgers for 1st Loss of Season

Jan. 2, 2023
No. 1 Purdue Upset by Unranked Rutgers for 1st Loss of Season

And then there was one.

New Mexico is the last remaining unbeaten team in men's college basketball after No. 1 Purdue was upset by visiting Rutgers 65-64 on Monday night.

Scarlet Knights guard Cam Spencer drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 13.3 seconds remaining to quiet the Mackey Arena crowd. That followed a three-pointer from Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer with 29.3 seconds on the clock that put his team ahead.

Purdue (13-1, 2-1 in Big Ten) had two chances to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Guard Ethan Morton had a good look from long range, but his effort hit the front rim and bounced off the backboard.

The Boilermakers then couldn't get a shot off with 0.4 seconds to play.

This is the second straight year Rutgers (10-4, 2-1) took down No. 1 Purdue. Last year's upset went down to the wire as well, with Ron Harper Jr.'s desperation heave finding the mark.

"We know what's coming," Purdue head coach Matt Painter told reporters. "What Rutgers did tonight didn't shock us. If we were going to war, we'd stop by New Jersey and pick them up."

Spencer finished with 14 points and was one of three Rutgers players to score in double figures.

Senior guard Paul Mulcahy led the way with 16 points, and his offensive flurry late in the second half was instrumental in turning the tide. He scored seven points inside the final four minutes as Rutgers went ahead 62-57.

On the other side, a double-double by Purdue center Zach Edey (19 points, 11 rebounds) wasn't enough. The Boilermakers shot 39.6 percent from the field 7-of-23 from beyond the arc.

Purdue has an opportunity to rebound and perhaps retain its top-ranked status Thursday when it hits the road to play No. 24 Ohio State.


Scroll to Top