No. 1 Seed Purdue Defeats NC State, Advances to Title Game

Purdue vs. NC State - Final Four NCAA tournament

Purdue vs. NC State - Final Four NCAA tournament | Image: March Madness/YouTube

Zach Edey achieved 20 points and 12 rebounds, leading Purdue in a 63-50 win against North Carolina State in the inaugural match of the NCAA Final Four held in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday night.

Purdue (34-4) saw Lance Jones contributing with 14 points while advancing to the NCAA Final for the first time since 1969. Fletcher Loyer also made his presence felt with 11 points, followed by Mason Gillis who added eight more to the scoreboard for the Boilermakers.

DJ Horne was a standout performer for the 11th seed NC State (26-15) with 20 points. Jayden Taylor contributed 11 points and D.J. Burns Jr. added eight points for the Wolfpack, whose impressive tournament journey came to an end after reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1983.

In the championship, Purdue will face off against the victor of the Saturday clash between top-seeded Connecticut and 4th seed Alabama on Monday night.

Purdue took control in the later stages of the game with a strong 12-1 run in the second half. Braden Smith‘s successful 3-pointer from the right wing gave the Boilermakers a 61-43 lead with 3:24 remaining.

Although the Wolfpack fell behind by as much as 20 points, they managed to conclude the game with a 7-0 scoring spree.

Despite a slow start to the second half, Purdue maintained its lead. Gillis broke a scoring drought of 4 minutes and 47 seconds with a crucial 3-pointer from the left corner, extending Purdue’s lead to 42-33 with 13:41 on the clock.

Shortly after, Jones further widened Purdue’s lead to 45-33 with a successful 3-pointer.

NC State clawed back to a 49-42 deficit with 8:04 left on the clock. Horne’s jump shot brought the Wolfpack within seven points.

Purdue maintained a 35-29 lead at halftime.

Purdue achieved a double-digit advantage within the first 10 minutes of the game. Jones set up Edey for a play that resulted in a quick return pass for a successful 3-pointer, extending Purdue’s lead to 21-11 with 10:11 left before halftime.

NC State narrowed the gap with a 13-4 run, bringing the score to 32-29 with 39 seconds left in the first half. Horne’s jump shot capped off the run.

Loyer concluded the first half’s scoring with a 3-pointer for Purdue.

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