MINNEAPOLIS — Max Klesmit's floater found the bottom of the net with five seconds left in overtime, and Lance Jones' half-court heave missed everything to give Wisconsin a cathartic, jubilant victory over the Boilermakers.

So many plays looked to be the pivotal, game-deciding play before someone countered it with heroics of their own. The back-and-fourth affair consisted of 13 lead changes, and Wisconsin needed every second to pull out the upset victory against the top seed in the Big Ten tournament and the nation's No. 3 ranked team.

Here are my takeaways from the Target Center:

After missing Wisconsin's quarterfinals game against Northwestern, Chucky Hepburn was officially listed as questionable when the injury report dropped several hours before tip-off. Considering the magnitude of this game, it's not a surprise he took to the court with the starting five. But not only did Hepburn return, he played an unbelievable game.

"I mean, shoot, I think that was the best game I've ever seen Chucky Hepburn play," Tyler Wahl said. "Controlling the game, offense and defense, making it hard for Braden Smith, getting steals, he was really doing everything out there."

The point guard finished with 22 points on a lethal 9-of-12 from the field. Throw in four assists, three steals and two absolutely critical plays, and Hepburn was the heart and soul of this Badgers' victory.

"He told us after we won yesterday, there's no way he's missing this game," AJ Storr told BadgerBlitz.com.

After Zach Edey missed his second free throw with 2.7 seconds remaining, keeping the Boilermaker lead at two points, Wisconsin got the ball to its half of the court and called time. Hepburn took the inbound from Wahl, feigned a shot from the perimeter and drove to the rim, hitting a layup that rattled home after a few heart-stopping bounces. The clock read zeros, the game was tied. Overtime.

At the end of overtime, Purdue led by one and had possession. The Boilermakers' point guard Smith took the inbound and tired to work his way up the court, but Hepburn was glued to him. After almost getting a steal, Hepburn finally set his feet and took a charge with 21.3 seconds left. He'd given Wisconsin another possession, and it wound up being the catalyst for Klesmit's game-winning shot.

"I was just trying to force a turnover. I knew Braden Smith had gotten into me a little bit. So I was able to sell the charge and he definitely extended, and they called it," he said.

Hepburn put his heart and hustle on full display Saturday afternoon. This game was won with grit and effort, and he embodied that. This performance will go down as one of his finest as a Badger.

It's no secret that with Purdue's play-style — or simply the presence of Edey, to be precise — the Boilermakers live at the charity stripe. Free throws account for over a fifth of Purdue's scoring, according to KenPom. Just in case anyone needed a reminder, the Boilermakers got to the line 32 times Saturday.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, took just nine free throws. That checks out considering the foul disparity was equally lopsided. Purdue committed 17 fouls, while Wisconsin committed 28. Not shockingly, many of those fouls came inside as the Badgers tried to defend the 7-foot-4 center.

"Obviously, just trying not to pick up some of those dumb ones. There's gonna be fouls; they're one of the most physical teams in the country," Steven Crowl said. "Just trying not to get those cheap ones."

"Move on to the next play. That's how you have the mentality to win in March. You can't keep crying about the one play that's in the past. You've got to move on. That's how you're going to win in March,'" Hepburn said.

Three Badgers fouled out: Crowl at the end of regulation, and Wahl and Nolan Winter in overtime. Without its top three forwards, Wisconsin was left with Carter Gilmore to defend Edey.

Would you believe that the Badgers could topple the Boilermakers after losing their top three forwards?

"Probably not," Crowl told BadgerBlitz.com. "But I think it helped that we all fouled out towards the end of the game, and it also helped that Edey sat for a little bit too."

Purdue took just 11 shots from the floor over the final 10 minutes of regulation, and just three in overtime counting Jones' desperation heave. It nearly buried Wisconsin with a barrage of free throws, and the Badgers needed all eight of Purdue's misses from the line to emerge victorious.

For a team as dominant as the Boilermakers have been, it's not easy to find potential flaws in their game or commonalities amongst their losses. But turnovers will hurt any team, and Wisconsin's gritty defense forced 16 of them. Every single one was absolutely critical to victory.

The biggest was obviously the charge Hepburn took against Smith that gave Wisconsin one final possession. But the Badgers dug deep defensively, and there's nothing like a sudden change of possession to pump energy into a team.

After a Wahl reverse layup snapped a streak of 10 straight missed field goals in the second half for the Badgers, Hepburn easily intercepted a pass, ran the floor and threw it down, hanging on the rim while Purdue head coach Matt Painter called a timeout.

Hepburn forced two of the biggest turnovers, but it was a complete team effort. Max Klesmit recorded two steals of his own. AJ Storr poked a ball loose from behind as Purdue tried to run in transition. Gilmore flung his body at a loose ball and recovered after sliding across the floor. The Badgers wanted it badly.

In Purdue's three other losses, it turned the ball over at least 14 times. When teams can clog up the passing lanes against the Boilermakers and get a few big-time live ball turnovers, one of the nation's best offensive teams suddenly isn't nearly as daunting.

2.7 - The amount of time left on the clock when Wisconsin inbounded the ball to Hepburn down two points.

75% - Hepburn's shooting percentage. The point guard went 9-for-12 from the floor.

32 - The number of free throws Purdue took.

3 - Three Badgers fouled out Saturday.

16 - Purdue coughed up the ball 16 times.

40 - Minutes played by Storr.

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