Valpo Stuns Purdue at Mackey

Valpo Stuns Purdue at Mackey

written by: Steven Stremming, Excel H Sports/United States Basketball Writers Association

photos by: Greg Flint, Excel H Sports/Flint Photography

On a brisk Friday, November 6th, 2026, in West Lafayette, Indiana, attendees in Mackey Arena and those watching on the B1G Ten Network witnessed something, no one had seen since the 1976-1977 season, that’s correct…fifty years ago, Purdue started a Men’s basketball season zero and two, in the win/loss column.

The victor was an Indiana college named Valparaiso. Back then, Valpo were the Crusaders, name got changed in 2021 to the Beacons for the Men’s team.

Well, last night Valparaiso’s men’s team was on a crusade of their own. Being down 32 to 20 at the halftime, the Boilermaker fans were pretty assured their team was about to open another season with a victory. Well, no so fast there.

Valparaiso, behind Head Coach Roger Powell, Powell is a Illinois graduate who played on some very good Illini teams in his days, rallied his squad behind Rakin Chaney, who by the way, kept Valpo in the game at all in the first half. Chaney was nearly unstoppable as he carried the team in the second half. Chaney would hit a three-pointer at the end of the first overtime to bring on a second overtime with the score an even seventy a piece.

For the game Chaney, a sophomore was 14 of 22 field goal attempts, four of eight behind the arc, three of four from the line and totaled eight boards.

Purdue fought hard as the ball continually went inside to 7’4, Junior Daniel Jacobsen, who has improved his overall game substantially. Jacobsen kept pounding the boards and hit clutch shot after clutch shot to keep the Boilermakers in the game.

Jacobsen was nine of thirteen from the floor, ten of twelve from the free throw line and ten rebounds, five recorded as offensive.

Jacobsen was not alone as Junior, Lawrence, Massachusetts product C J Cox scored 13 points on three of seven from the floor, seven of eight charity makes and 12 rebounds.

As the game was winding down in regulation, Valparaiso had outscored Purdue 38 to 26 in the second half, causing a quiet in Mackey Arena.

After Chaney hit the three-pointer to tie the game, Justus McNair nailed a three to claim victory for the Beacons. McNair had scored a bucket at the end of regulation to tie the game at 58 a piece.

McNair’s dagger was his only successful three-point attempt of the game.

J T Pettigrew scored eleven points and hauled in eight rebounds to finish off the Valpo players in double figures for the night. One more note, Hudson Scroggins came into the game late and buried to crucial free throws for his only two points of the game.

Gicarri Harris was the other lone Boilermaker to score in double figures with eleven.

Valparaiso was 33 of 71 from the field for 46%, 10 of 16 from the stripe, seven of twenty-seven from behind the arc, turned the ball over only nine times ad recorded 37 total rebounds, including ten on the offensive end.

Purdue was 24 of 64 field goal attempts for 38%, only five of 28 from behind the arc, an impressive 27 of 32 free throw attempts, 46 rebounds including thirteen offensive boards and only eleven turnovers while accounting for seven steals.

Purdue was hampered from poor shooting from behind the arc as Omer Mayer was one of eleven from the field overall and Antoine West, Jr. was two of ten from the field but only one of nine from three-point range.

Valparaiso looks for another win at San Diego State next Wednesday while Purdue tries to get into the win column for the first time Monday night against Illinois State.