Zach Edey goes big and sends Purdue to first Final Four since 1980 with a 72-66 win over Tennessee
DETROIT (AP) By the time all the scrapping and scratching and diving on the floor was over, it felt like a shame that both those teams, and both those players, weren’t moving onto the Final Four.
Just don't expect Purdue to feel bad about it.
Boilermakers big man Zach Edey went for a career high 40 points Sunday to muscle Purdue within two wins of the title for the first time since 1980 with a 72-66 victory over Dalton Knecht and his never-say-quit Tennessee teammates.
The 7-foot-4 Edey, a unanimous AP All-American, didn't even need a ladder to cut down the net after edging out Knecht, another All-American, who finished with 37 points.
The game's top two players, and their teams, went back and forth all day. How close was it? There were six ties and eight lead changes. With 5 minutes left and the score knotted at 58, both players had scored 31 points on 12 field goals. According to OptaSTATS, this was the first time opposing players scored more than half their squads’ points in an NCAA Tournament game.
“You're not trying to take away 100 percent, you're trying to take away maybe 80 percent of what he's trying to get accomplished,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Knecht. “But we don't take Zach for granted. He could've scored 50 tonight if he'd made his free throws.”
Edey missed eight of his 22 attempts from the foul line. One of those misses sparked the play of the game. After Tennessee grabbed the rebound and worked the ball downcourt, Edey swatted away Knecht's layup as he drove to the basket while trailing by five with 33 seconds left.
It was Edey's only block of the day, and it put an end to the Vols' desperate comeback hopes.
“I was just trying to get back, and make my presence felt on the defensive end of the court, and make up for it,” Edey said.
Top-seeded Purdue (33-4) set aside last year’s grand disappointment - a first-round loss as a No. 1 seed - to book the trip to Glendale, Arizona. On Saturday, Edey and the Boilermakers will face big man DJ Burns Jr. and 11th-seeded North Carolina State in the national semifinals.
“We had to take it,” Painter said of the abuse that came last year. “Sometimes when you sit in it and you’re honest with yourself and you take it, some great things can happen.”
Tennessee (27-9), a No. 2 seed, was seeking its first Final Four, and Vols coach Rick Barnes was denied the second trip of his 38-year career to college basketball's promised land.
This was a slugfest of a game, a welcome break from the action over the first two weeks of a March Madness that has been more sleepy than mad. It was played in front of an ear-splitting crowd packed with Purdue fans who made their way up from Indiana.
They were looking for history, and they got it - along with the game ball that Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer chucked about 20 rows into the crowd when the buzzer went off.
The school’s 87-year-old former coach, Gene Keady, watched from the stands - then, afterward, came onto the floor to receive a piece of the freshly cut net from Edey.
“It shows people if you do things the right way, it will pay off," the ex-coach told The Associated Press.
At times, the game looked like the sort Keady might have coached back in the ’80s and ’90s.
Purdue pounded the ball to Edey in the post, and though the grabby, swatty UT defense made some inroads - even blocking two of his shots - foul trouble piled up for Tennessee and Edey wore them down. He finished 13 of 21 from the floor.
Barnes refused to make an issue out of Edey's 22 free throws or the final foul tally: Tennessee 25, Purdue 12.
“He’s a difficult guy to guard against, but he’s a difficult guy for referees to officiate, too,” Barnes said. “He’s a hard guy to do that with because he’s a unique guy in terms of how he plays.”
Meanwhile, the 3-point arc that was six years from coming into existence at Purdue’s last trip to the Final Four was barely a factor for the Boilermakers. They went 3 for 15 from long range.
And yet, it was a trio of 3-point attempts that turned this game. Knecht missed a pair of open looks, first with his team trailing by three at the 3:09 mark, then again on the next possession when down by six.
In between, Lance Jones spotted up from the corner for a 3 that gave Purdue a 66-60 lead.
The coup de grace came with Tennessee trying to carve into a 69-64 deficit. Knecht drove down the lane and went up, but Edey, who played just a few seconds short of the full 40 minutes, scooted over and cleanly swatted the shot.
“A great play, you've got to give him credit," Barnes said.
Knecht finished 14 of 31 from the floor. After making his first four 3-pointers, he went 2 for 8.
“I don’t think I put the team on my back,” Knecht said. “I think all of us carried each other. I think every single one of us did what we needed to do. At the end of the day, they were just the better team.”
Edey is the first player with 40-plus points and at least 16 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount had 45 points and 18 rebounds in a 1990 contest against New Mexico State.
Edey was named the Midwest’s most outstanding player. Joining him on the all-region team were Knecht, Braden Smith (Purdue), Baylor Scheierman (Creighton) and Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee).
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Jonas Aidoo vs. Zach Edey (Jahmai Mashack gains possession) | |||
19:47 | Zakai Zeigler misses three point jump shot | |||
19:45 | Zakai Zeigler offensive rebound | |||
19:38 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
19:36 | Lance Jones defensive rebound | |||
19:24 | Braden Smith misses three point jump shot | |||
19:22 | Zach Edey offensive rebound | |||
19:14 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point hook shot (Fletcher Loyer assists) | 0-2 | |
18:52 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 2-2 | |
18:40 | Zach Edey misses two point hook shot | |||
18:38 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
18:17 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
18:15 | Zach Edey defensive rebound | |||
18:15 | Jahmai Mashack personal foul (Zach Edey draws the foul) | |||
17:59 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point dunk (Braden Smith assists) | 2-4 | |
17:34 | Jahmai Mashack misses three point jump shot | |||
17:32 | Braden Smith defensive rebound | |||
17:22 | +2 | Braden Smith makes two point driving finger roll layup | 2-6 | |
17:03 | Dalton Knecht misses two point layup | |||
17:01 | Jonas Aidoo offensive rebound | |||
16:58 | +3 | Josiah-Jordan James makes three point jump shot (Jonas Aidoo assists) | 5-6 | |
16:45 | Jonas Aidoo personal foul (Braden Smith draws the foul) | |||
16:35 | Dalton Knecht shooting foul (Braden Smith draws the foul) | |||
16:35 | +1 | Braden Smith makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-7 | |
16:35 | +1 | Braden Smith makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 5-8 | |
16:25 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 7-8 | |
16:08 | Lance Jones misses three point jump shot | |||
16:06 | Zakai Zeigler defensive rebound | |||
16:02 | Braden Smith shooting foul (Jahmai Mashack draws the foul) | |||
16:02 | +1 | Jahmai Mashack makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 8-8 | |
16:02 | +1 | Jahmai Mashack makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-8 | |
15:41 | +2 | Trey Kaufman-Renn makes two point layup (Lance Jones assists) | 9-10 | |
15:41 | Santiago Vescovi shooting foul (Trey Kaufman-Renn draws the foul) | |||
15:41 | TV timeout | |||
15:41 | Trey Kaufman-Renn misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
15:41 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
15:25 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point turnaround jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 11-10 | |
15:03 | Josiah-Jordan James blocks Zach Edey's two point jump shot | |||
15:01 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
14:55 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 14-10 | |
14:22 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point hook shot (Fletcher Loyer assists) | 14-12 | |
14:11 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Josiah-Jordan James assists) | 17-12 | |
13:51 | Trey Kaufman-Renn offensive foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
13:51 | Trey Kaufman-Renn turnover (offensive foul) | |||
13:37 | Dalton Knecht misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
13:35 | Braden Smith defensive rebound | |||
13:30 | Fletcher Loyer misses three point jump shot | |||
13:28 | Boilermakers offensive rebound | |||
13:28 | Tobe Awaka personal foul (Zach Edey draws the foul) | |||
13:08 | Fletcher Loyer misses two point jump shot | |||
13:06 | Boilermakers offensive rebound | |||
13:06 | Josiah-Jordan James shooting foul (Zach Edey draws the foul) | |||
13:06 | +1 | Zach Edey makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 17-13 | |
13:06 | +1 | Zach Edey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-14 | |
12:56 | Tobe Awaka misses two point hook shot | |||
12:54 | Myles Colvin defensive rebound | |||
12:49 | Myles Colvin misses three point jump shot | |||
12:47 | Zach Edey offensive rebound | |||
12:43 | Mason Gillis misses two point jump shot | |||
12:39 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
12:33 | Zakai Zeigler misses two point floating jump shot | |||
12:31 | Lance Jones defensive rebound | |||
12:13 | Mason Gillis misses three point jump shot | |||
12:11 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
11:48 | Zakai Zeigler misses three point jump shot | |||
11:46 | Lance Jones defensive rebound | |||
11:26 | Tobe Awaka blocks Zach Edey's two point jump shot | |||
11:24 | Zakai Zeigler defensive rebound | |||
11:20 | Camden Heide personal foul (Dalton Knecht draws the foul) | |||
11:20 | TV timeout | |||
11:09 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
11:07 | Braden Smith defensive rebound | |||
10:49 | Lance Jones misses two point driving layup | |||
10:47 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
10:47 | Trey Kaufman-Renn personal foul | |||
10:33 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
10:31 | Zach Edey defensive rebound | |||
10:23 | +3 | Braden Smith makes three point pullup jump shot | 17-17 | |
10:06 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
10:04 | Braden Smith defensive rebound | |||
9:53 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point hook shot | 17-19 | |
9:28 | Jonas Aidoo turnover (bad pass) (Braden Smith steals) | |||
9:18 | Myles Colvin misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
9:16 | Boilermakers offensive rebound | |||
9:01 | Braden Smith turnover (bad pass) | |||
8:35 | +3 | Josiah-Jordan James makes three point jump shot (Jahmai Mashack assists) | 20-19 | |
8:15 | Mason Gillis turnover (bad pass) (Tobe Awaka steals) | |||
7:53 | +3 | Zakai Zeigler makes three point jump shot (Santiago Vescovi assists) | 23-19 | |
7:37 | +2 | Braden Smith makes two point driving layup | 23-21 | |
7:15 | +2 | Josiah-Jordan James makes two point turnaround jump shot | 25-21 | |
6:58 | Lance Jones misses three point jump shot | |||
6:56 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
6:31 | Lance Jones blocks Tobe Awaka's two point jump shot | |||
6:29 | Braden Smith defensive rebound | |||
6:25 | Fletcher Loyer misses two point layup | |||
6:23 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
6:10 | Lance Jones shooting foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
6:10 | TV timeout | |||
6:10 | +1 | Zakai Zeigler makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-21 | |
6:10 | Zakai Zeigler misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
6:10 | Josiah-Jordan James offensive rebound | |||
6:05 | Fletcher Loyer personal foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
5:55 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 29-21 | |
5:24 | Zach Edey misses two point jump shot | |||
5:22 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
5:16 | Santiago Vescovi misses two point floating jump shot | |||
5:14 | Santiago Vescovi offensive rebound | |||
5:11 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Santiago Vescovi assists) | 32-21 | |
5:11 | Boilermakers 30 second timeout | |||
5:11 | TV timeout | |||
5:04 | +2 | Fletcher Loyer makes two point driving layup | 32-23 | |
4:48 | Zakai Zeigler misses three point jump shot | |||
4:46 | Zach Edey defensive rebound | |||
4:30 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point dunk (Braden Smith assists) | 32-25 | |
4:26 | Zakai Zeigler turnover (bad pass) | |||
4:07 | Zach Edey turnover (lost ball) (Josiah-Jordan James steals) | |||
4:03 | Jump ball. Josiah-Jordan James vs. Zach Edey (Boilermakers gains possession) | |||
4:03 | Josiah-Jordan James turnover (lost ball) (Zach Edey steals) | |||
3:45 | +2 | Fletcher Loyer makes two point driving layup | 32-27 | |
3:32 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
3:30 | Mason Gillis defensive rebound | |||
3:23 | Tobe Awaka personal foul (Zach Edey draws the foul) | |||
3:23 | TV timeout | |||
3:23 | +1 | Zach Edey makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 32-28 | |
3:23 | +1 | Zach Edey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-29 | |
3:09 | Dalton Knecht turnover (lost ball) (Fletcher Loyer steals) | |||
3:08 | Jahmai Mashack personal foul (Fletcher Loyer draws the foul) | |||
3:08 | +1 | Fletcher Loyer makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 32-30 | |
3:08 | +1 | Fletcher Loyer makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 32-31 | |
2:51 | Dalton Knecht misses three point jump shot | |||
2:49 | Zach Edey defensive rebound | |||
2:30 | +2 | Zach Edey makes two point layup (Mason Gillis assists) | 32-33 | |
2:18 | Jump ball. Santiago Vescovi vs. Zach Edey (Volunteers gains possession) | |||
2:16 | Santiago Vescovi misses three point jump shot | |||
2:14 | Zach Edey defensive rebound | |||
2:02 | Zakai Zeigler shooting foul (Braden Smith draws the foul) | |||
2:01 | Braden Smith misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
2:01 | Braden Smith misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
1:59 |