NCAA Tournament Elite Eight Quick Wrap: Purdue 72, Tennessee 66

The Purdue Boilermakers are headed back to the Final Four after 44 years.

Zach Edey scored 40 points and had 16 rebounds, and Purdue needed every single one as it advances past Tennessee, 72-66, in the Elite Eight of the Midwest Regional bracket.

Edey finished the game at the line, knocking down one of two, to get him to 40 points and to close out the Volunteers who had an 11 point lead in the first half over Purdue.

But Purdue finished the half on a 15-2 run over the final 5 minutes to go into the break up one.

Braden Smith controlled the game for Purdue with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, but it was the 7-4 Player of the Year that showed the college basketball world again that he was the singular force in college basketball all season.

The 40 points was a career high for Edey, but his biggest play came with 34 seconds left when he blocked Dalton Knecht at the rim with the Boilermakers leading 69-64. The block preserved a two-possession lead for Purdue and the Boilers were able to salt the game away at the free throw line. Fletcher Loyer connected on two free throws with 22 seconds left to really put the game away.

Loyer finished the game with 14 points for Purdue. The Boilermakers struggled from three, going just 3 of 15 from ong range, but a triple from Lance Jones with 2:43 left put Purdue in front 66-60 and gave htem some much needed breathing room.

Knecht showed why he is a National Player of the Year candidate like Edey as he finished with 37 points, but no other Tennessee player scored more than 9.

Boiler Upload will have much more from Detroit later tonight.

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