Boilermakers stave off Cyclones
MILWAUKEE — Caleb Swanigan had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Purdue reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in seven years with a wild 80-76 victory over Iowa State on Saturday night.
The Cyclones erased a 19-point deficit in the second half, taking their first lead of the game on Deonte Burton’s two free throws with 3:11 left. But P.J. Thompson responded with a critical 3-pointer for the Boilermakers, and Swanigan made several plays in the final minutes.
After Dakota Mathias missed the front end of a one-and-one with 11 seconds left and Purdue clinging to a 78-76 lead, Swanigan tracked down the rebound to set up Thompson’s free throws with seven seconds left. Monte Morris missed a 3 and time ran out on the Cyclones.
Vince Edwards had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Purdue (277), which will play the winner of Sunday’s Michigan State-Kansas game on Thursday in Kansas City. Isaac Haas finished with 14 points, helping Purdue to a 23-5 advantage in bench points.
Iowa State (24-11) had won 10 of 11, moving to the brink of its third appearance in the Sweet 16 in four years. But it eventually ran out of gas against the bigger Boilermakers. Burton scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half, putting on a show in his hometown. Matt Thomas, another Wisconsin native, had 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting, and Morris finished with 18 points and nine assists in the final game of his standout career.
Swanigan helped Purdue pull away at the start of the second half. He made a 3-pointer and Edwards got loose for a dunk as the Boilermakers grabbed a 5839 lead with 14:23 left.
But the Cyclones responded with a furious comeback. Thomas capped a 14-2 run with a layup. Free throws by Burton and a jumper by Thomas tied it at 71 with 3:45 remaining.