Purdue secures another impressive victory with a commanding performance from Zach Edey, defeating Gonzaga 80-68 in the Sweet 16.
In Detroit, Purdue’s towering center Zach Edey showcased resilience against Gonzaga’s relentless pressure on Friday night, tallying 27 points and 14 rebounds to propel the Boilermakers to an 80-68 triumph, positioning them just one victory away from the Final Four.
Despite Gonzaga’s efforts to impede the 7-foot-4 center—employing physicality including swatting and grabbing, even resorting to a slap across the forehead—neither Edey nor his top-seeded team could be subdued.
Purdue, having suffered the ignominy of becoming the second No. 1 seed to bow out in the first round last year, now awaits the outcome of Friday’s later match between Tennessee and Creighton in the Midwest Region. A triumph there would mark Purdue’s first Final Four appearance since 1980.
Contributing significantly, Braden Smith amassed 14 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds for the Boilermakers. However, as is often the case for Purdue (32-4), victory hinged on the opposing team’s inability to contain the nation’s leading scorer.
“Obviously we’ve always got a place to go with the ball with big Zach,” remarked Purdue coach Matt Painter.
Gonzaga (27-8), seeded fifth, put up a valiant effort for 30 minutes, but foul trouble coupled with a shrinking basket dashed their hopes.
