UConn's Loss Leaves Purdue Basketball Among Two Remaining Unbeaten Teams
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following No. 2 UConn's 83-73 loss at Xavier on Saturday, No. 1 Purdue and No. 22 New Mexico are the only two remaining undefeated teams in college basketball heading into 2023.
The Huskies led by three points late in the second half before head coach Dan Hurley was charged with a technical foul, resulting in a four-point swing in favor of the Musketeers. Xavier outscored UConn 6-2 in the final two minutes of play.
UConn began the 2022-23 season by winning its first 14 games, including a dominant 82-67 victory against Alabama on Nov. 25. The Crimson Tide has since risen to the No. 8 ranking in the country.
The Boilermakers, who closed their nonconference schedule with an 82-49 win over Florida A&M on Thursday at Mackey Arena, finished the year at 13-0 and are poised to stay atop the Associated Press College Basketball Top 25 poll for the fourth week in a row.
Purdue boasts one of the best resumes in the country before returning to Big Ten play, owning victories over West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke and Marquette. The Mountaineers, Bulldogs and Blue Devils were all ranked this past week while the Golden Eagles were among those receiving votes.
The Boilermakers are the only team in the country to post an undefeated record in their nonconference schedule each of the past two years. They have won 24 straight regular-season games outside the Big Ten, which is the longest streak in the nation.
Purdue will be back in action at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 2, for a matchup with Rutgers inside Mackey Arena. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
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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.