Purdue secured its spot in the national championship game behind big performances from Lance Jones, Fletcher Loyer and Zach Edey.
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Overcoming a struggling point guard to win in the NCAA Tournament is an uphill battle. Doing so in the Final Four is nearly impossible.
The Purdue Boilermakers were able to do just that, overcoming an uncharacteristic poor performance from Braden Smith, securing a 63-50 victory over 11-seed NC State and a spot in Monday’s national championship game. Smith had five turnovers, including multiple over-and-back violations in the first half, and didn’t score his first points until he hit his only shot with 3:24 left in the game.
Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones helped lift the play of the backcourt by shooting 7-of-15 combined from deep and making big plays defensively down the stretch. Their shots fell in important moments and kept the Purdue-heavy crowd in the game despite two NC State runs.
“We don’t want to shy away from moments like this,” said Jones, when asked about the growing confidence he and Loyer displayed after every made 3-pointer.
Down low, Zach Edey didn’t come out of the game. The 7-4 center finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and two big blocks despite a tough defensive effort from Wolfpack big man Ben Middlebrooks. Edey’s ability to box out on misses helped Purdue win the rebounding battle by 13, including 11 offensive boards — which led to 19 second-chance points.
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On the NC State side, guards DJ Horne (20 points) and Jayden Taylor (11 points) were the only two players to score double-digits. An injury to Michael O’Connell in the first half hurt the team’s ball movement and forced the ball into Horne’s hand more than it has been during the Wolfpack’s nine-game winning streak. Horne sparked both an 11-2 run at the end of the first half and a 7-2 run in the middle of the second half, which kept the game more competitive than many anticipated.
March star DJ Burns struggled to compete with Purdue’s size inside, missing much of the first half with foul trouble and finishing with just eight points and one rebound. It was a tough way to go out for the player that captured the hearts of college basketball fans.
As a result, Middlebrooks wound up having the biggest impact in the paint for NC State. While only scoring two points, the Clemson transfer was physical with Edey and made him take his shots further from the rim. Middlebrooks finished the game with seven rebounds and a steal as a result of his efforts.
Ultimately, Purdue’s 14-1 run toward the end of the second half put the Wolfpack away for good. Loyer’s final 3-pointer and subsequent celebration served as the dagger, even making the generally stoic Edey crack a smile.
The Boilermakers now move on to the title game where they will take on either UConn or Alabama. They will need Smith to improve his performance, but if Loyer and Jones continue to shoot with confidence, Purdue could be cutting down the nets on Monday.