Zach Edey’s No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers Collapse to Nebraska Cornhuskers in an Unexpected Upset

The Nebraska Cornhuskers hosted the No.1 ranked Purdue in an exciting Big 10 clash on Tuesday. The Boilermakers were searching for their 15th NCAA win after edging past Illinois at home.However, they couldn’t get past a resilient and spirited Nebraska, who humbled them 88-72 and handed Purdue their second defeat of the season.

Keisei Tominaga (19 points, 4 assists) and Rienk Mast (18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists) didn’t let the table toppers Purdue recover after the early setback in the first half.

Purdue rocked at Nebraska

Nebraska looked like the better team in the opening half. Center Rienk Mast along with No.30 Keisei Tominaga tested and troubled the defense of the visitors with their aggressive and precise play. Moreover, Purdue’s offensive front led by their 7 ft 4 center Zach Edey was also seen struggling due to their lack of chemistry and inaccurate shooting. As a result, the Boilermakers trailed in the opening half by 11 points.

Senior forward Mason Gills took matters into his own hands in the initial minutes of the second half. Following this, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith soon joined him to help Purdue close the gap. Yet, the visitors couldn’t get themselves ahead despite Edey’s late resurgence in the second half. On the other hand, the Cornhuskers started to take control of the game.

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At this time, they had a 52% success rate in their shooting from the field and buried 65% of their shots from the 3-point range. Junior guard C.J. Wilcher also joined the party and soon became the fourth Nebraska player to enter double-digits. In the end, it was all too much for Purdue, as Nebraska caused a major upset.

What went wrong for the Boilermakers?

Purdue looked out of sorts from the very beginning. Their movement with their inefficient shooting gave Nebraska an upper hand very early in the contest. They were 13 of 33 from beyond arc whereas the hosts fired their shots at a 60.9% accuracy. In addition to this, Purdue couldn’t even convert 50% of their field goals as they ended up with 24 off 57. Also. Nebraska bested them in free throws as well landing 16 out of their 19 attempts whereas the visitors managed to capitalize 11 out of their 15 chances.

This loss has changed the entire landscape of the Big 10 Conference. Nonetheless, Purdue can still regroup and figure out the gray areas before they host Penn State on Sunday. Meanwhile, fans will be hoping to see them at their absolute best next time they step onto the court.

What are your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments section.

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