FDU stuns Purdue
Only second No. 16 seed in history to knock off top seed
Fairleigh Dickinson became the second No. 16 seed in history to win an NCAA Tournament game, stunning top-seeded Purdue 63-58 behind 19 points from Sean Moore and a relentless, hustling defense on Friday night.
The shortest team in the tourney, the Knights (21-15) showed no fear in swarming 7-foot-4 Allamerica center Zach Edey from the start. FDU’S players were quicker and more composed than the Big Ten champion Boilermakers (29-6).
Five years ago, UMBC showed the way for the little guys by overwhelming Virginia in the first 16-over-1 victory after numerous close calls over the years. Still, No. 16s had a 1-150 record against No. 1s and were 1-151 overall before FDU’S shocker.
The Knights will now meet Memphis or Florida Atlantic on Sunday for a Sweet 16 berth in the East Region and a trip next week to play at Madison Square Garden in New York — just a short drive from the private school’s campus in Teaneck, New Jersey.
Fairleigh Dickinson didn’t even win the Northeast Conference Tournament, falling by one point in the title game to Merrimack, which couldn’t participate in the NCAA Tournament because of an NCAA rule that bars it from the postseason because it’s still completing its four-year transition from Division II.
FDU held Purdue scoreless for more than 5 1/2 minutes down the stretch and moved ahead by five on a 3-pointer by Moore — who is from suburban Columbus — with 1:03 left.
The Knights held on from there, becoming the second straight double-digit seed to send the Boilermakers home. Purdue was a 3 seed when it lost to 15 seed Saint Peter’s, another small New Jersey school, in the Sweet 16 last year.
Edey finished with 21
Fairleigh Dickinson players celebrate beating Purdue 6358after a first-round game on Friday in Columbus, Ohio.
point and 15 rebounds in what may have been his final college game, but the Knights consistently denied him the ball in the second half. He didn’t attempt a shot in the final nine minutes.
KENTUCKY 61, PROVIDENCE 53
Oscar Tshiebwe pulled down 25 rebounds, the second-most in the tournament since 1973, and Kentucky beat Providence.
MICHIGAN STATE 72, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 62
Joey Hauser scored 17 points and No. 7 seed Michigan State clamped down defensively on No. 10 seed Southern California in the second half.
MARQUETTE 78, VERMONT 61
Kam Jones scored 18 straight points for Marquette in the second half, and the second-seeded Golden Eagles beat No. 15 seed Vermont for their first NCAA Tournament victory in a decade.
MIDWEST REGION
XAVIER 72, KENNESAW STATE 67
Jack Nunge blocked Terrell Burden’s driving attempt at a go-ahead layup in the final seconds, and Xavier dug out of a 13-point hole against surprising Kennesaw State.
PITTSBURGH 59,
IOWA STATE 41
Nelly Cummings scored 13 points and No. 11 seed Pittsburgh held sixthseeded Iowa State to 23% shooting.
MIAMI 63, DRAKE 56
Nijel Pack scored 21 points, including the goahead jumper and a pair of free throws in the final
minute, and No. 5 seed Miami rallied past 12thseeded Drake.
WEST REGION
SAINT MARY'S 63, VCU 51
Mitchell Saxen had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and Saint Mary’s beat ailing VCU.
UCONN 87, IONA 63
Adama Sanogo scored 10 of his 28 points in the first five minutes of the second half as fourthseeded Uconn took control and beat Iona.
GONZAGA 82,
GRAND CANYON 70
Slow-starting Gonzaga finally started playing like a title contender, then wore out Grand Canyon behind 28 points and 10 rebounds from Julian Strawther.
SOUTH REGION
BAYLOR 74,
UC SANTA BARBARA 56
Caleb Lohner scored a season-best 13 points in just 18 minutes, and No. 3 seed Baylor beat UC Santa Barbara.
Adam Flagler led the Bears with 18 points, and LJ Cryer scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half.
Baylor (23-10) overcame a one-point halftime deficit and advanced to play Creighton on Sunday.
Miles Norris led the 14th-seeded Gauchos (278) with 15 points. Ajay Mitchell added 13. CREIGHTON 72,
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 63
Ryan Kalkbrenner scored a career-high 31 points and sixth-seeded Creighton overcame an abysmal 3-point shooting day to fend off No. 11 seed North Carolina State.