DETROIT — Zach Edey dominated inside with a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds and Purdue advanced to the Final Four for the first time in 44 years with a 72-66 victory over Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region final on Sunday afternoon.
Edey shot 13-for-21 from the field and 14-for-22 from the foul line to ensure the top-seeded Boilermakers (33-4) would make their first Final Four appearance since 1980. Foster Loyer had 14 points and Braden Smith supplied nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Purdue overcame a 37-point performance from Dalton Knecht. The No. 2 seed Volunteers (27-9) have never reached the Final Four in 26 tournament appearances.
Each team had a big run in the opening half as Purdue emerged with a 36-34 lead.
Knecht hit a 3-pointer to give Tennessee a 17-12 lead. The Vols then went scoreless for more than five minutes as the Boilermakers moved ahead by two.
Tennessee then went on a 15-2 run, capped by two Knecht 3-pointers, to take a 32-21 lead. Purdue finished the half on a 15-2 run of its own with Edey and Loyer combining for all of those Boilermakers points.
Loyer made a 3-pointer off Edey’s kickout with 16:42 remaining to give Purdue a 44-40 edge. After the Boilermakers nudged the lead to six, Tennessee scored the next five points.
Loyer answered with a jumper. Edey then extended the lead to 54-46 with two layups and a free throw. The Vols responded with a 7-0 run that included two layups by Knecht sandwiching Jordan Gainey’s 3-pointer.
Edey scored inside before Knecht nailed a corner 3-pointer off a Purdue turnover to tie it 56-all.
Edey made two free throws with 3:56 left to give Purdue a 61-58 lead. Knecht then made two free throws before Smith found Edey for a dunk.
After Knecht missed from deep, Lance Jones drained a 3-pointer off another Smith assist. Edey made two more free throws for a 68-60 margin.
The Vols pulled within five but Edey blocked Knecht’s layup with 33 seconds left and Loyer clinched the win on two free throws with 21 seconds left.
–Dana Gauruder, Field Level Media