Matt Painter reacts to near collapse against Nebraska

Purdue basketball entered the season as the favorite to win the national championship, but things didn’t quite go according to plan Matt Painter and society. The Boilermakers have struggled while playing in a very strong Big Ten Conference, and while they still have a chance to win the league title, they haven’t had things their own way.

Questions surrounded Purdue entering Tuesday night’s showdown with No. 7 Nebraska, especially after the home team’s close win over a bad Oregon team. However, Painter’s side quickly silenced the doubters, jumping out to a 16-point lead at halftime.

Purdue appeared to be cruising to the finish line, holding a double-digit lead with less than three minutes to go in Lincoln. Then disaster struck. A combination of missed defensive assignments and missed free throws allowed the Cornhuskers to come all the way back and force overtime, even after missing the free throw that would have completed the stunning comeback. The Boilers still escaped with an 80-77 victory, but they have a lot of work to do.

After the game, Painter put a positive spin on it on the collapse in the second half.

“Obviously we didn’t want to go to overtime, but the fact that we did — and we came through it and showed some fight — I think that’s definitely going to help us.”

Bill Rafty with @BoilerBall HC Matt Painter after the Boilermakers’ win against no. 7 Nebraska. pic.twitter.com/0eD76evAkv

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOKS) February 11, 2026

“Obviously, we didn’t want to go to overtime, but the fact that we did — and we came through it and showed some fight — I think that’s definitely going to help us,” Painter said.

Purdue was still able to relax and win with its rebounding and some 3-point shooting, but free throws will be a point of emphasis for Painter coming out of this one. That An Achilles heel nearly cost the Boilermakers a win over Oregon also, so this is not a new question.

Despite Purdue’s relative struggles this season, it’s still at 20-4 and well within the protected seed range in current Bracketology. This win will only help that cause, with Purdue still just two games behind Michigan for the Big Ten lead with a game against the Wolverines still on the schedule. If they can fix these late-game issues, everything is still up for grabs for the Boilermakers with the postseason less than a month away.