Indianapolis Lutheran edges Purdue Polytechnic 98-97 in triple-overtime thriller

In one of the more dramatic late-season finishes in Indianapolis-area hoops, Indianapolis Lutheran defeated Purdue Polytechnic 98-97 in a game that required three overtimes to decide the winner on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. The final score represented a season high for Lutheran, and the victory came on what the school's social feed labeled Senior Night.

Lutheran High School of Indianapolis celebrated the moment on its official Facebook page with the post: "Senior Night 2026. Saints for the WIN in triple overtime! 98-97." The post capture included the metadata line "Michelle Bradbury and 22 others," underscoring local engagement around the Senior Night celebration and the dramatic finish at Lutheran's gym.

Local television captured the game for broader audiences. WISH-TV's "The Zone" featured highlights from Purdue Poly Englewood at Lutheran as part of an eight-game highlight package on Friday, with the show's copy listing the final as "Final Score (3OT):Lutheran 98 Purdue Poly Englewood 97" and noting that "The Zone" airs each Friday at 11:08 p.m. WISH-TV's framing identified the matchup as "Purdue Poly Englewood at Lutheran," reinforcing that the contest was played at Lutheran and carried the home-team Senior Night context.

MaxPreps game files record the outcome's impact on both teams' seasons: Indianapolis Lutheran moved to 5-15 while Purdue Polytechnic fell to 7-16 after the triple-overtime loss. MaxPreps also provides broader context on Purdue Poly's recent struggles, noting a 74-63 loss to Indianapolis Shortridge that marked a tenth straight setback for Purdue Poly and placing Purdue Polytechnic at 277th in MaxPreps' Indiana rankings compared with Shortridge at 86th. The result on Feb. 27 therefore stands as a tense moment of resilience for Purdue Poly despite a difficult stretch.

The Feb. 27 meeting also reversed the teams' prior recent history. MaxPreps records show that Purdue Polytechnic beat Indianapolis Lutheran 58-46 when the schools last met in February 2025, making Lutheran's 98-97 triple-overtime win an emphatic counterpoint to that previous outcome. MaxPreps' preview material had scheduled the game for a 7:30 p.m. start on Friday, a timeline that aligns with the evening highlight package on WISH-TV.

This game offered a snapshot of how local media, school social channels, and data-driven platforms intersect around high school basketball. WISH-TV preserved the triple-overtime finish for regional viewers, Lutheran's Facebook post amplified the Senior Night moment for families and alumni, and MaxPreps' automated coverage packaged records and historical context that frame both teams' seasons. The win bumped Lutheran to 5-15 and handed Purdue Poly a 7-16 mark, with the triple-overtime thriller now lodged in local highlights and season narratives for both programs.