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Virginia-Purdue Classic Features Worst Bad Beat of College Basketball Season

Betting on college basketball is not for the faint of heart, and Virginia-Purdue was the latest example why. 

Max Meyer

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

We finally have the “winner” for the worst bad beat of the NCAA tournament.

Purdue closed as a 4.5-point underdog, and it looked like the Boilermakers were going to win outright to advance to the Final Four. But sharpshooter Ryan Cline missed a FT with 17 seconds left, which would have made it a two-possession game, to give No. 1-seeded Virginia one final shot.

Then, with a 70-67 lead over the Hoos with less than 10 seconds left in regulation, the Boilermakers smartly fouled up three. Ty Jerome went to the line, and just like Cline, he made the first but missed the second. Mamadi Diakite, however, tipped the ball back and Virginia grabbed the offensive rebound past halfcourt. Kihei Clark found Diakite, and the big man delivered with a buzzer beater to send the game into overtime.

Yet Purdue +4.5 bettors were still very much alive in the extra period, and the Boilermakers had a 75-74 lead after a Carsen Edwards basket with 43 seconds showing on the clock. A De’Andre Hunter layup gave Virginia a 76-75 lead with 27 seconds left, and Edwards missed a potential go-ahead three with nine seconds left.

The Boilermakers fouled Kyle Guy, who drilled both of his free throws. Purdue still had one last shot though down 78-75, but turned it over with 1.7 seconds left on an errant Edwards pass out of bounds. Virginia inbounded it to Kihei Clark, and Purdue fouled him with 1.3 seconds to go. Clark hit both free throws, securing the Virginia win and an all-time horrendous gambling loss for Purdue backers.

As always, betting on college basketball is not for the faint of heart.

Here is a reaction from one Vegas sportsbook after the Virginia buzzer beater.

Also, this may be the worst parlay loss ever below.

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Max Meyer
MAX MEYER

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