Purdue upsets defending national champion and No. 2 Virginia in blowout

The defending national champions have lost their first game since cutting down the nets last April. 

It took the eighth game of the season to unhinge a Virginia team that looked like an even better defensive team than last year's title group made up of three NBA players. Purdue built a lead of over 20 points midway through the game and kept it going on its home floor to blow out the cold-shooting Cavaliers 69-40 Wednesday night in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.  

The result gave Purdue some revenge from last year's thrilling Elite Eight game that saw Mamadi Diakite make a buzzer-beating bucket to force overtime and helping Virginia to the Final Four – where the Cavs won it all. 

Virginia (7-1) entered Wednesday night's contest allowing opponents a nation-leading 40.3 points a game, but the Boilermakers (5-3) turned UVA's 16 turnovers into offense while forcing 12 steals and shooting 52% from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Sasha Stefanovic cashed in six 3-pointers to finish with a game-high 20 points. 

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Jay Huff and Diakite paced Virginia with 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the loss. UVA, which shot 16.7% from three, has been playing without second-leading scorer Braxton Key, who has been out with a wrist injury. 

“When you go against a team that’s that well-coached and that intense and that physical, it kind of takes your breath away,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, per the Associated Press. “We played on our heels all game and I had a feeling there was going to be extra motivation with that setting.”