PHOTO GALLERY: The Best Photos From Purdue's Game Against Rutgers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No. 1 Purdue basketball lost 65-64 to Rutgers on Monday night at Mackey Arena. The Scarlet Knights had three players score in double figures, and the Boilermakers were plagued by 13 turnovers.
Rutgers senior guard Cam Spencer made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to play in the game, and the shot ended as the decisive basket. He finished the game with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Purdue junior center Zach Edey led all scorers with 19 points after struggling with foul trouble in the first half.
The Boilermakers drew 24 fouls but only made 19 of their 28 free throw attempts in the matchup, which featured eight lead changes. The team fell to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
"We've known what's coming with Rutgers," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "What Rutgers did tonight didn't shock the coaching staff. And we sold it and sold it and sold it like, hey man, these guys are coming. If we were going to war, we'd stopped by New Jersey and pick them up.
"Them cats, they played for keeps, and we explain that to them. Right now we gotta learn to play for keeps. You get in that pickup game and if you lose, you gotta wait an hour before you can get back in there. We don't want to wait. We want to keep hooping and keep playing. We gotta get grimy. We're not very grimy right now."
Purdue is set to go on the road Thursday for a game against No. 24 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The matchup is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on FS1.
Photo Gallery: Rutgers 65, No. 1 Purdue 64
Mason Gillis
Purdue Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) is defended by a group of Rutgers Scarlet Knights players.
Fletcher Loyer
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Caleb McConnell (22) defends Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2).
Caleb Furst
Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Aundre Hyatt (5) boxes out Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1).
Matt Painter and Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter talks to Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25).
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) and Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Paul Mulcahy (4) dive for a loose ball.
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) looks for a teammate in front of Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Caleb McConnell (22).
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) drives toward the basket.
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) look at a ball controlled by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Zach Edey
Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi (11) shoots the ball over Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15).
Caleb Furst
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) celebrates a teammate's points.
Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) looks for an open teammate around Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Derek Simpson (0).
Ethan Morton
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Caleb McConnell (22) shoots the ball over Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25).
Matt Painter and Braden Smith
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shares a moment with Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3).
Caleb Furst
Purdue Boilermakers forward Caleb Furst (1) reacts during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Matt Painter and Trey Kaufman-Renn
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter and Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) share a moment during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Braden Smith
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Cam Spencer (10) drives toward the basked against Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3).
David Jenkins Jr.
Purdue Boilermakers guard David Jenkins Jr. (14) passes the ball away from Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Derek Simpson (0).
Brandon Newman
Purdue Boilermakers guard Brandon Newman (5) reacts to a call in front of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights bench.
Purdue basketball
Purdue Boilermakers basketball seen during warm-ups before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Mackey Arena.
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) stands on the court before the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Mackey Arena.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- Rutgers Hands No. 1 Purdue First Loss of the Season: Purdue lost to Rutgers 65-64 on Monday night at Mackey Arena, falling to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights led by as many as 13 points, and a late 3-pointer by senior guard Cam Spencer ended up as the game-winning shot. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Rutgers Live Blog: Purdue basketball returned to Big Ten play against Rutgers on Monday night at Mackey Arena. Relive the action with our live blog from the matchup. CLICK HERE
- Purdue Ranked No. 1 for Fourth Straight Week: Purdue basketball remained at the top of the national rankings for the fourth week in a row and sits with a 13-0 overall record ahead of a home matchup against Rutgers. The Boilermakers were one of four Big Ten teams in this week's rankings. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.