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Published Mar 17, 2023
NCAA Tournament Results - #1 58 Purdue, #16 FDU 63 - #1 Goes Down
Casey Bartley  •  BoilerUpload
Basketball Columnist
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@CBartleyRivals
(Photo by Joshua Facemyer)

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A #1 seed would fall to a #16 seed for just the second time ever.

#1 Purdue would go into Columbus the favorite to get upset in the second round instead they would go down in the first round to #16 FDU, 63-58, just the second time ever a one seed lost to a sixteen.

FDU's Coach Tobin Anderson, made good on his statement. He said the more he watched Purdue the more he thought his team could beat them. It was impossible, a miracle, it was March Madness, and FDU is this year's Cinderella story.

Purdue's Zach Edey had 21 points and 15 rebounds, but he couldn't make up for a 19 of 53 shooting performance from the floor including a 5 of 26 showing from three.

He was one of three Boilers in double-figures, but for a team that started 13-0 and 22-1 and spent seven weeks as the top-ranked team, they proved to be the team that struggled late in the year, losing 4 of 6 at one point despite winning the Big Ten by three games.

Matt Painter's resume and legacy will be questioned. This is another disappointing March finish after failing to get out of the Sweet 16 last year, losing to #15 seeded St. Peter's in Philadelphia.

Now all the doubts about Purdue's young guards, their lack of athleticism, and winning in the post look to be prophetic.

FDU's quick, assertive guards and roster brought it to Purdue from the start and never wavered.

After Purdue appeared to take control of the second half, going up 5, FDU responded.

Sean Moore had 19 points and a key block late. Demetre Roberts had 12 and Cameron Tweedy went 5 of 6 from the field.

For Purdue, a promising upstart of a season ends in complete heartbreak, falling to Cinderella and striking Midnight on their season instead.

1st Half

David vs. Goliath in the NCAA Tournament as the nation's shortest team takes on 7-4 Zach Edey and the Boilermakers.

Early, the size disparity worked in FDU's favor with Sean Moore driving and finishing over Zach Edey to give FDU a 2-0 lead. Moore is a foot shorter than Edey, but is the assignment for Edey to start the game defensively.

Purdue's Braden Smith responded with a pull-up jumper from mid-range off a pick and roll.

Sean Moore then used the space Edey gave him on the perimeter to get a three-pointer to fall, giving FDU the 5-2 early lead, but FDU's defense showed its first cracks.

They came into the game with one of the worst defenses in the country by efficiency metrics.

Brandon Newman got by his man and got a lay up for Purdue to cut the game to one.

Braden Smith then received a pass from a driving Newman to give Purdue its first lead of the game, 7-5.

But FDU's Cinderella pursuits wouldn't be thwarted that easily.

Grant Singleton knocked down a three to give FDU the lead back, 8-7 five minutes into the game.

Caleb Furst's size got Purdue an offensive rebound and a put-back and Purdue went back up by one.

But FDU's offense found success, cutting off ball and using their speed to get looks at the rim and drawing fouls in the paint.

Cameron Tweedy finished in transition off a miss to put FDU up 10-9.

Back to back turnovers by Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith allowed FDU to extend the lead when Joe Munden Jr. drove baseline and challenged Zach Edey at the rim, drawing a foul and making one of two free throws.

Ansley Almonor then got to the line and made one of two free throws go up three.

A Demetre Roberts three over Mason Gillis put FDU at a 15-9 advantage.

Zach Edey finally got on the board for Purdue, scoring on back to back plays, one in the post and one on a pick and roll where he finished with two dunks.

But Tweedy got free on a roll for FDU in between and a Heru Bligen lay up added to FDU's lead, putting them up 19-13.

Two Zach Edey free throws cut the lead down to four.

After missing an open look from the corner, struggling freshman Fletcher Loyer got a second chance after a pass out from Braden Smith left Loyer wide open at the top of the arc.

Loyer drained the three, his first NCAA Tournament points, and cut FDU's lead down to 1, 19-18.

After an FDU miss at the basket, Purdue took advantage and attacking in transition, finding Mason Gillis streaking ahead of the court and the junior finished a lay up to give Purdue the lead back with eight minutes to play in the first half.

Edey would then get fouled after grabbing a defensive rebound and go to the line shooting 1 and 1, and knock down both to put Purdue up 22-19.

Loyer then drove in for Purdue, hop-stepping to two feet and hitting a floater in the paint to go up 5.

Munden Jr. responded with a three from the top of the key for FDU.

But Caleb Furst found Zach Edey on a high low, and Edey finished another post feed with a dunk to put Purdue up 26-22.

Singleton then finished a circus left-handed lay up high off glass against Ethan Morton to cut the lead to two.

Trey Kaufman-Renn would draw a foul on an entry pass and make one of two free throws to put Purdue up three but FDU got back to back lay ups out of Bligen and Tweedy to take the lead again with less than two minutes to play in the half.

Matt Painter's timeout with 1:06 remaining in the half would see #16 FDU with a lead over the #1 Purdue Boilermakers, 28-27.

Purdue would get the ball back inside to Edey for another dunk after the timeout and get the lead back by one.

Roberts would then beat Edey off the dribble on a switch and finish a lefty lay up at the rim to take the lead back for FDU, 30-29.

Braden Smith would then turn the ball over against the press and Singleton would find Bligen for a lay up to go up three.

Smith would then break the press on the next play, get fouled crossing the three point line and make both free throws with 6 seconds left to cut FDU's lead to 32-31.

That would be the score going into half.

2nd Half

Mason Gillis got Purdue going early, knocking down an open three off a Brandon Newman drive and kick and Purdue took the lead back on the first possession, 34-32.

But Sean Moore responded with a three for FDU and FDU went back up one.

Braden Smith drew a charge on defense, but Purdue’s shots continued to not fall and Moore got another one to go, falling away on a mid-range jumper and putting FDU up 37-34.

Mason Gillis got to the line, getting to the hoop and drawing a foul. He’d make both to cut it to one for Purdue.

But Tweedy gathered a blocked shot by Zach Edey and got a clean put back for FDU.

FDU went into the under 16 media timeout with a 39-36 lead.

With the shot clock expiring, Tweedy twisted into a mid-range look and got it to go to extend FDU’s lead to five.

Purdue would then respond, finally getting the ball to Edey inside.

Edey would finish and draw a foul to cut the lead to two and then a second hook shot would tie the game at 41.

Edey would then find Mason Gillis cutting and Gillis would get knocked to the ground, but while falling, he tossed up a lay up and got it to go with the left-hand. His free throw gave Purdue the 44-41 advantage.

Braden Smith then found Caleb Furst with a bounce pass in transition for a lay in to give Purdue their largest lead of the second half so far, 46-41.

Purdue would go into the under 12 media timeout with the five point lead.

An Edey free throw would push it to six points, but FDU wasn’t done charging back.

Demetre Roberts hit a mid-range jumper and drew a foul and hit the free throw to cut the lead to three.

Another Roberts pull up would bring the game to 47-46.

Grant Singleton would then get Gillis to step back on defense and hit a pull up three from the left wing.

#16 FDU was leading #1 Purdue again, this time 49-47.

Purdue continued to miss shots but Edey was there to clean up this one and tie the game at 49.

Another Edey offensive rebound would lead to free throws, the big man would hit one of two to go back up by 1.

But Newman lost a pass and Joe Munden Jr. took it the other way, finishing through Gillis contact and converting the free throw to give FDU the 52-50 lead.

They would carry that lead into the under 8 timeout.

A Sean Moore mid-range jumper would pull FDU ahead 54-50.

Barely breaking the press, Purdue got an open look from the wing and Loyer finally converted, knocking down his second three-pointer to get Purdue within one.

Edey would then miss the front end of a one and one, but Smith would force Roberts into throwing the ball out of bounds.

While Purdue’s defense halted FDU from pushing the advantage, Purdue’s shots went dry. They couldn’t get Edey a look inside, and instead, Purdue missed three after three after three.

At 3:07, both teams went to the bench for the final media timeout. Purdue was 4 of 23 from three and 18 of 48 from the field.

FDU was threatening to be just the second #16 seed to ever defeat a #1 seed.

Fletcher Loyer looked to block Sean Moore on a drive but a whistle was called and Moore would get and hit two free throws. FDU would go up three with less than two minutes remaining after an Edey post up resulted in a ball knocked out of bounds.

FDU would force the turnover as the ball got into Edey and Moore would get a lay up to go up 58-53 with less than two minutes to play.

Purdue would respond with Smith driving and finding Loyer for a three in the corner to cut it to two.

But Moore would come up big again, finishing a pick and pop with a three at the top of the key.

FDU would lead Purdue 61-56 with 1:04 to play.

Loyer would drive and draw a foul and go to the line for two with 55.6 seconds left.

Loyer would make both to cut the game to one possession again, 61-58.

Edey would block the ensuing shot at the rim, but Purdue couldn't corral it cleanly, instead the ball appeared to go off Purdue and out of bounds but a review gave Purdue the ball and a chance to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining.

Smith drive and looked to have a lane, but Sean Moore skied in to block the lay up out of bounds. Purdue would once again huddle up with 12.5 seconds remaining this time to try and get a quick two or tie the game.

Fletcher Loyer would get caught in the corner and force up a double-clutch three and air ball it. Purdue would foul with 7.6 seconds on the clock.

Demetre Roberts would go to the line with a chance to seal it for FDU.

Shooting one and one, he'd make the first. And the second.

#1 Purdue would lose to #16 FDU.


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