Five Thoughts From Purdue's 80-77 OT Win Over Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb. – No. 13 Purdue outlasted No. 7 Nebraska 80-77 in overtime Tuesday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena, delivering a dramatic Big Ten statement that will resonate well beyond the final buzzer. The victory, sealed after an extra five minutes of back-and-forth basketball, vaults the Boilermakers into the conference’s upper tier while handing the Huskers their first home heart-breaker of the season. Here are five immediate takeaways from an instant classic:

1. Rankings were only a suggestion Entering the night, Nebraska sat seven spots higher in the national poll, yet Purdue’s poise under road pressure flipped the script. The Boilermakers never trailed by more than six, answered every Husker surge and finished regulation on an 8-2 run to force overtime.

2. Overtime belonged to the visitors The extra session featured three ties and four lead changes, but Purdue scored the final five points—culminating in the go-ahead basket with 14 seconds left—to escape with the three-point win.

3. Atmosphere lived up to the hype A raucous sell-out crowd of 15,500 rocked the arena from opening tip to final whistle, creating a postseason-level environment in early January and underscoring why Big Ten nights in Lincoln have become must-see events.

4. Momentum swing in the standings The result moves Purdue to 1-0 in league play and drops Nebraska to 0-1, instantly altering early-season bracket projections and reminding the rest of the conference that road victories inside this building will be exceedingly rare.

5. A signature moment for the résumé With both programs eyeing top-four NCAA tournament seeds, the Boilermakers now own a Quadrant 1 road win that could loom large on Selection Sunday, while the Huskers will regroup knowing they pushed a title contender to the brink.

Purdue heads home to prepare for its next Big Ten test; Nebraska looks to bounce back Saturday. If Tuesday’s thriller is any indication, the conference race will be a roller-coaster ride until March.