#3 Purdue Beats #1 Arizona in College Basketball

Top ranked and undefeated Arizona traveled to Indianapolis December 16th to take on #3 Purdue in a matchup of teams with very legitimate hopes of reaching the Final Four. The Boilermakers got off to a 49-38 halftime lead and held off the Wildcats in the second half for a 92-84 victory.

Last year’s National Player of the Year Zach Edey had 22 points and nine rebounds for Purdue, but it was the backcourt combination of Fletcher Loyer (27 points) and Braden Smith (26 points) that led the way for the Boilermakers, showing that the team is not a one man operation. Caleb Love led Arizona with 29 points. The last time Purdue beat a #1 ranked opponent was in November of 2000, when the Boilermakers beat Arizona. That game was also played in Indianapolis.

Arizona (8-1) has not had an easy schedule so far, beating #2 Duke, #21 Michigan State, and #23 Wisconsin before being handed its first loss. Likewise, Purdue has had a some challenging opponents in the early weeks of the season. The Boilermakers beat #11 Gonzaga, #7 Tennessee, and #4 Marquette. Their only loss was at Northwestern, a team that has actually beaten Purdue in consecutive seasons. Northwestern is off to an 8-2 start, but has not played any other Top 25 teams and is unranked at this time.

The Wildcats will try to get back on the winning track on December 20th, when they host Alabama, followed by #15 Florida Atlantic on the 23rd. The Owls were a huge surprise last year, reaching the Final Four before losing to San Diego State in the National Semifinals. Purdue is in action nest on December 21st, hosting Jacksonville.