Max Klesmit’s floater bounced in for the decisive basket with 4.8 seconds remaining and fifth-seeded Wisconsin upset top-seeded Purdue 76-75 in overtime on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis to advance to the Big Ten tournament title game.
Chucky Hepburn had 22 points and three steals and AJ Storr scored 20 points for the Badgers (22-12), but Klesmit was the hero with 12 points.
A last-second 3-point attempt by Purdue’s Lance Jones missed everything as the buzzer sounded.
Wisconsin faces second-seeded Illinois in Sunday’s title game.
Zach Edey recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots for the third-ranked Boilermakers (29-4). He also became Purdue’s all-time leading scorer with 2,339 career points, surpassing legend Rick Mount (1967-70), who scored 2,323 points in three seasons for the Boilermakers.
Point guard Braden Smith played through a calf injury sustained Friday and had seven points and 10 assists before fouling out for the Boilermakers, who had a six-game winning streak come to an end.
Hepburn’s layup out of a sideline out of bounds play as time expired forced the extra session.
Edey went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in overtime to help Purdue hold a 75-72 edge with 46 seconds left. He made 14 of 19 free throws in the game.
Hepburn drove for a layup to make it a one-point game with 38.6 seconds left before Klesmit became the hero.
In regulation, Edey converted a three-point play to give the Boilermakers a 65-62 lead with 46.8 seconds left.
Hepburn made a layup with 6.5 seconds remaining to bring Wisconsin within one. Edey split two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining to put Purdue ahead by two before Hepburn drove for an easy basket.
Steven Crowl tallied 11 points before fouling out for the Badgers, who connected on 43.2 percent of their attempts from the floor and 7 of 32 from behind the arc.
Purdue shot 45.1 percent from the field, including 5 of 16 from 3-point range.
Hepburn’s steal and dunk gave Wisconsin a 51-49 edge with 8:22 remaining in regulation. Mason Gillis hit a 3-pointer to put the Boilermakers ahead, and Edey followed with a jump hook with 7:18 left, the basket that allowed him to pass Mount.
Wisconsin later led 58-56 after a trey from Carter Gilmore with 4:31 left. But Gillis and Fletcher Loyer hit 3-pointers as Purdue took a 62-58 advantage with 3:09 remaining.
Baskets by Hepburn and Klesmit enabled the Badgers to knot the score with two minutes left.
Storr scored 14 first-half points in a game that was tied at 36 at the break.
–Field Level Media
