Fletcher Loyer hit the winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left as No. 1 Purdue defeated No. 24 Ohio State 71-69 in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday.
The Boilermakers trailed 69-68 before Loyer’s trey, and the Buckeyes (10-4, 2-1 Big Ten) were unable to get off a final shot.
Zach Edey and Braden Smith each scored 16 points and Loyer had 11 for the Boilermakers (14-1, 3-1).
The Boilermakers were coming off a 65-64 loss to Rutgers but equaled their best 15-game start in history.
Brice Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes with 21 points and Justice Sueing added 15.
Sean McNeill put the Buckeyes ahead 69-66 with a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left. Edey’s basket made it 69-68 with 28 seconds left, and Sueing’s turnover four seconds later gave Purdue the chance for the go-ahead basket.
Purdue is 5-14 in Value City Arena but has won four of the past five there.
Ohio State suffered a major blow when forward Zed Key exited the game for good just 3:48 into the first half with a left shoulder sprain. He entered the night third on the team in scoring (13.4 points per game) and first in rebounding (8.4 per game). He has five double-doubles this season.
The Buckeyes held a 36-33 halftime lead despite losing Key.
They jumped to a 26-14 lead before the Boilermakers started their comeback. They were down 33-24 but ran off nine straight points, the last three on a triple by Smith. He had 12 points at the half.
The Buckeyes carried the lead into the break when Eugene Brown III hit a 3-pointer with 1:01 left.
The game had several intriguing matchups. The Boilermakers were the national leader in rebounding margin (plus-12). The Buckeyes were second in the conference and 11th in the country (plus-9.6).
Also, Ohio State entered second nationally in offensive efficiency rankings, according to KenPom, and Purdue was fifth.
On Sunday, Purdue faces Penn State at The Palestra in Philadelphia, while the Buckeyes play at Maryland.
–Field Level Media
