INDIANAPOLIS-- The Purdue males's basketball team took advantage of its very first trip to the NCAA Tournament Final Four in 44 years, beating North Carolina State, 63-50, in the very first semifinal at State Farm Stadium to advance to Monday night's national championship video game.
The Boilermakers took a 12-point lead with six-and-half minutes to enter the first half on a Zach Edey free toss. The Wolfpack then rallied to cut the deficit to three with under a minute to play in the first half.
Guard Fletcher Loyer struck a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds left in the first to press Purdue's lead back to 6 before halftime.
Purdue led, 35-29, regardless of a rough very first half from guard Braden Smith. The sophomore went 0-of-6 from the field while dedicating 5 turnovers.
Both groups began the 2nd half slow before back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Mason Gillis and fifth-year transfer Lance Jones put the Boilers back up by 12.
Smith's very first points of the video game-- a 3-pointer with simply over 3 minutes to play-- put Purdue on the top by 18 and pushed the game entirely out of NC State's reach.
" I believed we were really competitive. I believed we played hard," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter. "We just didn't play fantastic. I don't think either team played great. If you take a look at their run to get here and our go to get here, both groups were way much better offensively than you saw today. That happens in basketball at times, so you have to give our guys credit for hanging in there and grinding one out."
You kind of see it when groups make a run and when we go on a run, we stay even. We stay the same team."
Edey, a two-time national player of the year, led the Boilers with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Jones and Loyer contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Jones and Loyer shoot 50% (7-of-14) from 3-point range to help alleviate Smith's struggles.
" In a video game like that when shots aren't falling, they're still encouraging me to play much better defense, rebound, get assists, take care of the ball," said Smith.
" Everybody has to contribute, if not, you're refraining from doing your task," Loyer stated. "Everybody needs to help out. Everyone has to play hard. United States continuing to trust one another for one more day, for 40 more minutes, it's what we require to do and what we will do."
Purdue is attempting to win the NCAA Tournament for the very first time in program history. The 1932 team, led by famous John Wooden, won the Helms Foundation championship game.
The last time a Big Ten team won the competition was Michigan State in 2000 at the RCA Dome.
This is the second time the Boilers have actually been to the title video game, losing the 1969 last to UCLA.
They'll play the winner of the second semifinal between UConn and Alabama on Monday night at 9:20 p.m.
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