Purdue kept its March Madness dream alive while snuffing out North Carolina State's, getting 20 points and 12 rebounds from Zach Edey in a 63-50 victory Saturday that placed the Boilermakers a win from their first NCAA title.
N.C. State poked and jabbed at the 7-foot-4 Edey and gave him fits over his 40 minutes on the floor, but he still dominated the battle of big men against 6-9, 275-pound Wolfpack center DJ Burns Jr., who labored to eight points and four assists. DJ Horne led the 11th-seeded Wolfpack with 20 points.
Purdue (34-4) moves on to Monday night's final to play the winner of the later game between Alabama and defending champion UConn. N.C. State (26-15) ended its season two victories shy of a repeat of 1983, when it came through in nine straight must-win games to capture one of history's most unlikely titles.
Some might call this run by top-seeded Purdue unlikely, too. The program is in the Final Four for the first time since 1980, only one season after becoming the second top seed to fall in the first round.
Edey and coach Matt Painter's team continue to dominate
Despite a quiet night from Braden Smith, Purdue managed to fend off all challenges. Smith, the second-leading scorer, struggled with a 1 for 9 shooting performance but contributed with eight rebounds and six assists.
The N.C. State team, known for their second-half comebacks, faced a shooting slump, managing only 28.6% in the last 20 minutes. They missed numerous open shots, unable to close the gap.
The game saw a series of missed shots, with both teams struggling to find the basket. At one point in the second half, they combined to miss 10 consecutive shots.
Despite Smith's difficulties, he delivered the final blow to N.C. State's hopes.
His pivotal moment came after Horne's airball and Edey's block on Jayden Taylor's shot, followed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Loyer and Smith.
Smith's 3-pointer was part of an 8-0 run that extended Purdue's lead to 20 points, sealing the game. N.C. State failed to surpass their season low of 52 points, ending their tournament journey.
Despite facing tough defense from N.C. State, Edey, the two-time AP Player of the Year, managed to record his 29th double-double of the season. The Wolfpack's guards were particularly effective in disrupting Edey's game, finishing with eight steals by sagging down on him in the paint.
While Horne and Middlebrooks put up a good fight against Edey, the nation's leading scorer proved to be a formidable opponent. Edey showcased his defensive prowess by blocking two shots, altering several others, and influencing N.C. State's shooting performance, which was limited to 36% for the night.
