On Saturday, Purdue continued its national championship run with a 63-50 win over NC State. The Boilermakers are one win from making history and the program’s first NCAA title.
While NC State defied the odds to make it to the Final Four, they had no answer for Purdue and their talented center, Zach Edey. The Toronto native continued to dominate with a team-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. Along with his teammates, Edey is now ready to play on the biggest stage in college basketball, a moment he has been dreaming about.
“The reason I came back is for playing games like this,” Edey told ESPN. “It’s the reason I’m playing college basketball for four years, to finally get this game, big-time.”
Livin’ for one more day. pic.twitter.com/opnYU1yOaq
— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 7, 2024
Although Edey dominated on the boards, Purdue was able to pull away late due to its success from beyond the arc. The Boilermakers shot 40 percent from three-point range, while NC State shot 26.3. For Purdue, Fletcher Loyer came up huge in those situations, making three of his five shots from three-point range.
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After a one-day hiatus, Purdue will be back in action on Monday night to take on UConn. Entering the National Championship, UConn is the favorite, according to ESPN. The Huskies will be looking to win their second straight title and sixth in school history.