COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fairleigh Dickinson introduced down an enormous.
Pulling off probably the most largest upsets in NCAA Tournament historical past, the undersized, underdog Knights shocked top-seeded Purdue 63-58 on Friday evening, changing into the second one No. 16 seed to win a recreation in March Madness.
The shortest of the 363 Division I groups in the rustic, the Knights (21-15) confirmed no concern in swarming 7-foot-4 All-America middle Zach Edey from the beginning and easily outplayed the Big Ten champion Boilermakers (29-6).
“If we played them 100 times, they’d probably beat us 99 times,” FDU trainer Tobin Anderson mentioned. “Play them 100 times, we have one win. But tonight’s the one we had to be unique, we had to be unorthodox. We had to make it tough on them, just be different.”
Sean Moore scored 19 issues to guide FDU and a constant defensive fee — the Knights pressed many of the recreation — through a workforce that now has everybody’s consideration.
Five years in the past, UMBC confirmed the way in which for the little guys through overwhelming Virginia in the primary 16-over-1 victory after a lot of shut calls through the years. Still, No. 16s had a 1-150 document in opposition to No. 1s and have been 1-151 general prior to FDU’s shocker.
After the general horn, FDU’s gamers mobbed every different at the flooring of Nationwide Arena, the place the enthusiasts from Memphis and Florida Atlantic who have been looking ahead to the day’s ultimate recreation joined forces in cheering at the Knights in the general, frantic mins.
The Knights will now meet the Memphis-FAU winner on Sunday for a Sweet 16 berth and a commute subsequent week to play at Madison Square Garden in New York — only a quick force from the personal college’s primary campus in Teaneck, New Jersey.
“Man, I can’t even explain it,” Moore mentioned. “I’m still in shock right now. I can’t believe it. It’s crazy. But it feels amazing.”
Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win the Northeast Conference Tournament, falling through one level in the identify recreation to Merrimack, which could not take part in the NCAA Tournament as a result of 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 mins down the stretch and moved forward through 5 on a 3-pointer through Moore — who’s from suburban Columbus — with 1:03 left.
The Knights hung on from there, changing into the 3rd immediately double-digit seed to ship the Boilermakers domestic. Purdue used to be a No. 3 seed when it misplaced to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s, some other small New Jersey college, in the Sweet 16 ultimate yr. The Boilermakers have been bounced in the primary spherical through Thirteenth-seeded North Texas in 2021.
“Our job was just to come into the game and throw a punch,” mentioned FDU’s Demetre Roberts, 20 inches shorter than Edey. “We knew they would throw multiple punches. Just throw a punch back. We knew what type of game this was.”
Edey completed with 21 issues and 15 rebounds in what could have been his ultimate university recreation, however the Knights have been masterful in opposition to him in the second one part. Edey did not strive a shot in the general 9 mins, and anytime he touched the ball there have been FDU gamers draped throughout him.
“A lot of times they would have one dude guarding from behind and one dude basically sitting in my lap,” Edey mentioned. “They were full fronting the entire game. Made it very hard to get catches. Credit to them, they had a great game plan coming in. And they executed it very well.”
When Purdue’s overdue push fell quick and its season ended, Edey squeezed the shoulder straps on his jersey and walked stone-faced towards Purdue’s locker room.
The junior middle is a conceivable NBA lottery select, however the bitterness of this defeat may just sway Edey to stay round for some other yr.
“I have no opinion on that,” Edey mentioned when requested about his long run. “I’ll make my decision going forward.”
The Knights’ two prior NCAA Tournament wins got here in the First Four, together with this yr, after they drubbed Texas Southern 84-61. After that recreation, Anderson advised his gamers he believed they might take care of Edey and Co.
“The more I see Purdue, the more I think we can beat them,” Anderson mentioned with a digicam in the locker room.
Some of Purdue’s gamers mentioned they felt disrespected through the feedback, which grew to become out to be prophetic.
“It was the right message, wrong audience,” Anderson mentioned. (*1*)
“And the guys gotta believe.”
Just being in the tourney used to be somewhat an accomplishment for FDU, which went 4-22 a yr in the past and now has two NCAA tourney wins in 3 days.
This used to be Anderson’s first season on the college, and after he landed the task in May, he held a tradition the primary evening in order that he knew what he needed to paintings with from a workforce that had the second-worst document in this system’s 58-year historical past.
It wasn’t so much, so he introduced 3 gamers — Roberts, Grant Singleton and Moore — together with him from Division II energy St. Thomas Aquinas.
Turns out, they’re massive slayers.
“We’re the shortest team in the country,” Anderson mentioned. “But we made him (Edey) uncomfortable. And the things he made were not easy baskets. I don’t think he ever felt terribly comfortable. And that was just a great team effort.”
“We were sagging in the paint. We went off certain shooters. Let’s make them make 3s, but not give them 3s — make them make 3s. Just an unbelievable team effort.”
Purdue completed 5 of 26 from past the arc — together with 3 of 15 in the second one part.
It used to be the Boilermakers, now not the undersized Knights, who have been scrambling from the outlet tip.
Purdue could have had Fairleigh Dickinson oversized at the flooring and in the stands as a boisterous team of Boilermakers enthusiasts gave their workforce what felt like a home-court benefit regardless of being 240 miles from West Lafayette, Indiana.
However, when the Knights’ Joe Munden tired a step-back 3-pointer in the primary part, “F-D-U!” chants broke out within the area and it become evident this small workforce had giant goals.
Without a participant on its roster taller than 6-6, Fairleigh Dickinson infrequently wanted two gamers to protect Edey — one in entrance and one at the back of — and he overlooked his first 3 photographs prior to a dunk.
Edey confirmed some frustration and at one level advised probably the most officers, “Sir, he’s holding my left arm.”
Purdue sooner or later settled in and reeled off 11 immediately issues — 4 on Edey loose throws — to take 24-19 lead. The Knights, despite the fact that, replied with their very own spurt and Heru Bligen’s layup after a thieve helped FDU take a 32-31 into halftime.
Roberts completed with 12 issues and 6-4 ahead Cameron Tweedy had 10 issues on 5-of-6 capturing for FDU.
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AP March Madness protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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