Fairleigh Dickinson shocks Purdue to develop into second No. 16 seed ever to win NCAA match sport

Fairleigh Dickinson turned the second No. 16 seed in historical past to win an NCAA Event sport, beautiful top-seeded Purdue 63-58 behind 19 factors from Sean Moore and a relentless, hustling defence on Friday evening.

The shortest staff within the tourney, the Knights (21-15) confirmed no concern in swarming 7-foot-4 All-America centre Zach Edey, a local of Toronto, from the beginning. FDU’s gamers had been faster and extra composed than the Large Ten champion Boilermakers (29-6).

5 years in the past, UMBC confirmed the way in which for the little guys by overwhelming Virginia within the first 16-over-1 victory after quite a few shut calls through the years. Nonetheless, No. 16s had a 1-150 report towards No. 1s and had been 1-151 general earlier than FDU’s shocker.

After the ultimate horn, FDU’s gamers mobbed one another on the ground of Nationwide Area, the place the followers from Memphis and Florida Atlantic joined forces in cheering on the Knights within the last minutes.

Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win the Northeast Convention Event, falling by one level within the title sport to Merrimack, which could not take part within the NCAA Event due to an NCAA rule that bars it from the postseason as a result of it is nonetheless finishing its four-year transition from Division II.

FDU held Purdue scoreless for greater than 5 1/2 minutes down the stretch and moved forward by 5 on a 3-pointer by Moore — who’s from suburban Columbus — with 1:03 left. The Knights held on from there, turning into the third straight double-digit seed to ship the Boilermakers residence. Purdue was a 3 seed when it misplaced to fifteen seed Saint Peter’s, one other small New Jersey faculty, within the Candy 16 final yr.

Edey completed with 21 level and 15 rebounds in what could have been his last faculty sport, however the Knights constantly denied him the ball down the stretch. He did not try a shot within the last 9 minutes.

“Plenty of instances they might have one dude guarding from behind and one dude mainly sitting in my lap,” Edey stated. “They had been full fronting the complete sport. Made it very exhausting to get catches. Credit score to them, they’d a terrific sport plan coming in. They usually executed it very nicely.”

And not using a participant on its roster taller than 6-foot-6, Fairleigh Dickinson generally wanted two gamers to protect Edey.

Edey confirmed some frustration and at one level informed one of many officers, “Sir, he is holding my left arm.”

The junior centre is a doable NBA lottery choose, however the bitterness of this defeat may sway Edey to stay round for an additional yr.

“I’ve no opinion on that,” Edey stated when requested about his future. “I am going to make my resolution going ahead.”

The Knights’ two prior NCAA Event wins got here within the First 4, together with this yr, after they drubbed Texas Southern 84-61. After that sport, Knights coach Tobin Anderson informed his gamers he believed they might deal with Edey and Co.

“The extra I see Purdue, the extra I believe we are able to beat them,” Anderson informed his gamers within the locker room.

A few of Purdue’s gamers stated they felt disrespected by the feedback, which turned out to be prophetic.

“It was the precise message, unsuitable viewers,” Anderson stated. “I’d have stated that with no digicam in there. I did not imply to get Purdue upset. That was not the thought in any respect. However that is acquired to be the message. We’re attempting to win the subsequent sport. We simply cannot be completely happy to be right here.”

“And the blokes gotta consider.”

The Knights will now meet the Memphis-Florida Atlantic winner on Sunday for a Candy 16 berth and journey to play at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York subsequent week — only a quick drive from the non-public faculty’s campus in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Sport-saving block helps No. 3 Xavier keep away from upset

Jack Nunge blocked Terrell Burden’s driving try at a go-ahead layup within the last seconds, and Xavier dug out of a 13-point gap towards shocking Kennesaw State to flee with a 72-67 victory within the first spherical of the NCAA Event on Friday.

Souley Boum hit 4 clinching free throws within the last 2.6 seconds for the third-seeded Musketeers (26-9), who ran off 15 unanswered factors as a part of a game-ending 24-6 run. That was sufficient to show away the 14th-seeded Owls (26-9) in this system’s first-ever March Insanity sport.

Xavier strikes on to face both Iowa State or Pittsburgh on Sunday within the Midwest Area.

Xavier led 68-67 when Burden — who’d been profitable all day with dribble penetration — was the paint previous Jerome Hunter and appeared to have a path to the rim. The 7-foot Nunge moved over and swatted the ball into the backboard.

Kennesaw State made simply two baskets within the last 9:57 as its probabilities of a signature March second slipped away painfully.

Coles hits late floater as TCU edges Arizona State

Watching from the bench for many of final season, JaKobe Coles patiently waited his flip.

His reward got here Friday evening, a floater from the lane with 1.5 seconds left that lifted No. 6 seed TCU to a come-from-behind 72-70 win over Eleventh-seeded Arizona State within the first spherical.

Coles took the cross from Miles from the highest of the 3-point circle, dribbled as soon as, took two steps and let go of the game-winner.

A desperation heave by Arizona State guard Frankie Collins on the buzzer missed all the things, and left coach Bobby Hurley questioning if he ought to have used a timeout to arrange a play.

Whereas TCU (22-12) superior to play Gonzaga on Sunday, Arizona State’s season led to heart-breaking vogue. No person may say the Solar Devils (23-13) did not placed on a present.

They took an 11-point lead early within the second half punctuated by a pair of highlight-reel dunks. One was from Collins — with a defender draped throughout him — and one other from Devan Cambridge, who completed a quick break with a backward energy slam.

That is when TCU began chipping away.

Spartans survive

Joey Hauser scored 17 factors and No. 7 seed Michigan State clamped down defensively on No. 10 seed Southern California within the second half on Thursday for a 72-62 win within the first spherical of the NCAA Event’s East Area.

Coach Tom Izzo’s Spartans (20-12) will face Marquette on Sunday for a spot within the Candy 16. Marquette coach Shaka Good sat on press row for a part of the second half to get a more in-depth have a look at what might be his subsequent opponent.

Good watched as Michigan State ramped up its defensive depth after halftime to muzzle the streaky Trojans (22-11), who had been knocked out within the match’s first spherical for the second straight yr.

Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins added 12 factors apiece for Michigan State, which held USC to 34 per cent taking pictures within the second half. It felt like each possession was a problem for the Trojans, who solely stayed inside vary with some late 3-pointers and a few atrocious free-throw taking pictures by Michigan State.

Michigan State, showing in its twenty fifth straight match below Izzo, will transfer on in what has been a singular and difficult season for the Spartans. The staff turned the face of a grief-stricken faculty after a gunman killed three college students and injured 5 others in a campus taking pictures on Feb. 13.

Taking part in in Large Ten nation, and backed by a crowd sporting much more inexperienced on St. Patrick’s Day, the Spartans took management within the second half.

Jones leads Marquette previous Vermont

Kam Jones scored 18 of his 19 factors within the second half as second-seeded Marquette beat No. 15 Vermont 78-61 within the first spherical of the NCAA Event on Friday.

Oso Ighodaro scored 14 factors and David Joplin added 12 as Marquette (29-6) pulled away within the final 10 minutes and cruised to the rout, advancing to face seventh-seeded Michigan State.

Michigan State beat No. 10 Southern California on Friday.

Jones’ second-half surge included scoring 17 straight for Marquette, together with a trio of 3-point pictures. By the point he was completed, the Golden Eagles elevated their lead from 5 factors to 17 with slightly below 10 minutes left.

Dylan Penn, Matt Veretto and Robin Duncan every had 11 factors for Vermont (23-11), whose 15-game win streak was snapped by the Golden Eagles.

Marquette led 39-30 on the half, regardless of Large East Participant of the 12 months Tyler Kolek hitting solely 3 of his 10 pictures from the ground.

Kolek wasn’t a giant issue within the sport, getting his fourth foul early within the second. He completed with eight factors after scoring in double figures for the earlier 13 video games.

Marquette prolonged its successful streak to 10 video games.

Ailing VCU by way of to subsequent spherical

Mitchell Saxen had 17 factors, seven rebounds and 4 blocks, and Saint Mary’s beat ailing VCU 63-51 within the NCAA Event on Friday.

Alex Ducas additionally scored 17 factors because the fifth-seeded Gaels (27-7) superior to the second spherical for the second straight yr. Logan Johnson had 12 factors and 10 rebounds, and reserve Augustas Marciulionis scored 13 factors.

Ace Baldwin led VCU (27-8) with 13 factors, however he appeared to sprain his proper ankle on his touchdown after taking a jumper with simply over 14 minutes left in regulation. The Atlantic 10 Convention Participant of the 12 months and Defensive Participant of the 12 months lay on the courtroom for a few minutes earlier than receiving remedy on the bench and again within the locker room.

VCU was down 38-34 when Baldwin left and 48-39 when he got here again with 9:03 left after the Gaels of the West Coast Convention went on a 10-5 spurt sparked by a three-point play by Kyle Bowen.

Saint Mary’s, which held a 37-29 rebounding edge, will play No. 4 seed UConn or Thirteenth-seeded Iona and coach Rick Pitino on Sunday.

The NCAA look was the primary for Twelfth-seeded VCU because it needed to forfeit a sport within the 2021 match due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Rams had received 9 in a row.

Baylor advances

Caleb Lohner scored a season-best 13 factors in simply 18 minutes, and No. 3 seed Baylor beat UC Santa Barbara 74-56.

Baylor (23-10) overcame a one-point halftime deficit to advance to play the Creighton-North Carolina State winner on Sunday within the South Area.

Lohner’s solely different double-digit efficiency since transferring from BYU to Baylor for this season got here again in November when he scored 11 towards Virginia.

The Gauchos (27-8) regarded like straightforward pickings for the Bears within the opening minutes earlier than they used a 13-1 run to take a 26-22 lead.

The Gauchos led the Mountain West Convention with a .493 taking pictures share and that sharpshooting carried over to Ball Area, the place they shot 61.5 per cent within the first half to take a 36-35 lead into the locker room.

That every one went away after halftime, nevertheless. The Gauchos had been held to 30.4 per cent taking pictures within the second half and the Bears pulled away.