March Madness hasn’t even started but there have already been some major upsets. Continuing the pattern, Big 10 table-toppers Purdue Boilermakers went down against the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers in the semis. The overtime thrill ended with the Badgers coming out on top 76-75. This also means that Zach Edey and the team will not get to reach the Big Dance through the automatic bid. This semifinal has invigorated the March Madness excitement before the event even began.

The crowd at the Target Center, Minneapolis, was in for a huge upset but also a tight game that ran shot for shot. The two teams tied a total of 11 times throughout the night. The second half ended with an exhilarating bucket by junior Chucky Hepburn, despite the towering Zach Edey guarding him, bringing the score to 66-66 and taking the game to OT. Purdue only led by one point in the last 10 seconds of the OT. With just 4.8 seconds reading on the clock, Max Klesmit scored a runner in the lane to secure a seat in the championship game.

Nevertheless, the Badgers had their own errors that led to their top scorers getting fouled out. In tonight’s game, Tyler Wahl only grabbed 4 points for the team while he averages 11.1 PPG this season. However, their guards kept the momentum with AJ Storr collecting 20 points with 6 rebounds and Chucky Hepburn with 22 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, which was also the team-high tonight. Moreover, Wisconsin also led the game in steals 8-3.

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However, Purdue also gave an incredibly good competition and brought their fans to the edge of their seats.

Zach Edey and co. in the upset loss

The Boilermakers failed to show up tonight. Purdue, who ranked 12th this season with 83.7 PPG, managed to score just 66 points in regulation. Nevertheless, their stats did shine through the back-and-forth game. They shot 45% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc. Moreover, Zach Edey surpassed the all-time scoring record for the Boilermakers in the late minutes of the second half to add a silver lining to the black clouds in Purdue. He now stands at 2,338 career points, leaving Rick Mount at 2,323. He had 28 points along with 11 rebounds on the night.

It was a tough pill to swallow for Zach Edey and Co., despite having a close game with their opponents. Moreover, with hints of March Madness coming in all the conference games now, basketball followers certainly see what the NCAA tournament has in store for them. Next, the Wisconsin Badgers will go against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday, 3:30 pm ET.

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