Tuesday night in Lincoln gave us one of the wildest finishes of the college basketball season - and maybe one of the most frustrating if you're Nebraska.
Purdue walked away with a huge road win, but the final seconds were pure chaos. Down by one with just over four seconds left, Nebraska had the ball and a chance to win.
But as Jamarques Lawrence caught the inbounds pass, he slipped - hard - and the ball popped loose. Purdue’s Gicarri Harris scooped it up, got fouled, and calmly knocked down two free throws.
Nebraska never even got a shot off. Just like that, a thrilling back-and-forth battle ended with a thud.
But here’s where things get even weirder.
Before Lawrence’s slip, Purdue’s Oliver Cluff had just converted a tough and-one to give the Boilermakers the lead with five seconds remaining. Nebraska fans weren’t thrilled with the call - and one fan took it a step too far, tossing an object onto the court. It didn’t cause an immediate stoppage, but it may have had a lasting impact.
The object - possibly a cup - landed in the same area where Lawrence would go down moments later. Now, it clearly wasn’t a full drink; there was no splash, no visible mess.
But what if there was just enough liquid left in the cup to create a slick spot? And what if that spot didn’t get cleaned up properly?
That’s where things get dicey.
From the moment the object hit the court to the final play, several minutes passed in real time. Purdue huddled up before Cluff’s free throw.
CJ Cox grabbed the rebound off the miss, got tied up, and Nebraska called a timeout. In other words, there was plenty of time - and plenty of foot traffic - in that area.
Yet, when the game resumed, Lawrence still slipped in that exact spot. And when Sam Hoiberg ran over to help him up, he slipped too.
It’s possible Harris didn’t go down because he had a moment to gather himself before the contact. But the fact that multiple players lost their footing in the same spot raises real questions.
Was it something on the floor? A wet patch?
Something on the shoes? We may never know for sure.
But it’s hard to shake the feeling that Nebraska might’ve lost control of its own fate - not because of a bad play, but because of a preventable mishap.
At best, the object had no effect. At worst, it cost Nebraska a shot at a game-winner and potentially affected the Big Ten race.
And let’s be clear: throwing anything on the court is never okay. It risks a technical foul, it risks player safety, and in this case, it may have altered the outcome of a huge conference game.
No one can say for certain if Lawrence would’ve converted the final play. But the slip took the ball - and the decision - out of his hands entirely. For a Nebraska team that battled all night, that’s a brutal way to lose.
Strange endings happen in sports. But this one? It’s going to sting for a while.