BRADLEY CENTER REPORT
STAR OF THE DAY Purdue forward Vincent Edwards had an answer for Vermont every time the Boilermakers needed it and played the offensive game of the day. Edwards hit 10 of 16 shots, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, for 21 points in 35 minutes. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. During a 2minute run at the start of the second half, he scored four straight buckets for the Boilermakers, allowing them to stretch a 39-36 lead into a 45-38 margin. He finished the second half with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
PLAY OF THE DAY It took Middle Tennessee State three quarters of the game to build a 16-point lead and about 4 minutes to almost lose it. Ahead, 60-44, with 10 minutes 41 seconds left, the Blue Raiders were outscored, 14-2, letting a partisan Minnesota crowd get back into the game. Desperate for an answer, MTSU leaned on senior Reggie Upshaw Jr., and their leader came through. Upshaw received the ball on the wing and with no hesitation put up a three-pointer. The ball slipped over the rim and Upshaw pumped his fist like he had just won the national championship. Upshaw scored again on a jumper and a drive to put the Gophers away.
DID YOU NOTICE? Give Vermont fans a lot of credit. Burlington,Vt., was in the path of the snowstorm that hit the East Coast this week, forcing the team to leave Monday night for Milwaukee for fear of being snowed in. Apparently, they have good plows because Vermont had a pretty good contingent of fans across the court from their bench.
QUOTE OF THE DAY “Listen, my staff just told me that I looked terrible and looked like I hadn’t slept in a week, which was nice of them. The reason was that kid. I mean, he is a load to guard.” - Butler coach Chris Holtmann, on Winthrop guard Keon Johnson.
BY THE NUMBERS 3: Field goals out of its first 15 attempts that Middle Tennessee State hit in its victory over Minnesota. 0: Points out of the 18 that Butler’s Avery Woodson scored that weren’t from three-point shots. 12:06: Time in the first half that Vermont spent in the lead of an 80-70 loss. 4: Offensive rebounds Minnesota had vs. Middle Tennessee State, whose tallest starter is 6-foot-8.