Purdue basketball falls on wrong side of history with loss to 16-seed FDU

COLUMBUS, Ohio − The recurring questions.

Why can’t this team make open shots from the perimeter? Why does Purdue struggle against a full-court press? Can you win in March with a freshman backcourt?

© Alex Martin/Journal and Courier Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter talks to an official during the NCAA MenÕs Basketball Tournament game against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, Friday, March 17, 2023, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The Boilermakers showed those were valid questions.

A season with so much promise and NCAA tournament expectations came to a historic halt Friday night at Nationwide Arena.

As it happened: No. 1 Purdue basketball makes unwanted NCAA tournament history

Reaction:Fairleigh Dickinson shocks Boilers. ‘What an embarrassment’

FDU (21-15) pulled off perhaps the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history, beating the top-seeded Boilers (29-6) 63-58.

The Boilermakers are the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, joining Virginia, which lost to UMBC in 2018.

Purdue had the ball, trailing by three with 30 seconds to go. Braden Smith was blocked on a layup attempt. With 12.3 seconds to go, Purdue got the ball to Fletcher Loyer, who missed a contested 3.

FDU then sealed the game with two free throws from Demetre Roberts.

Loyer’s last gasp wasn’t what was drawn up. Initially, the plan was to get the ball inside to Edey for a quick two, while trailing by three, or have Loyer go over the top. Purdue struggled to inbound the ball and Loyer had to flash to the Ethan Morton just to get the ball in before a five-second call. Once that happened, two FDU defenders pinned Loyer in the corner.

3 stars

Sean Moore, FDU: The Columbus, Ohio, native returned home and had an unforgettable moment. The 6-4 junior forward hit the biggest shot of his life with 1:04 to go, putting FDU ahead 61-56. He finished with a team-high 19 points.

Cameron Tweedy, FDU: The 6-foot-4 sophomore reserve forward didn’t play a ton of minutes, but when he did, Tweedy was the most valuable player on the floor. He proved a worthy defensive adversary for Edey’s size. Offensively, Tweedy was 5 of 6 for 10 points and had six rebounds.

Zach Edey, Purdue: The 7-4 center didn’t dominate the game the way some thought he might. He was extremely efficient offensively, however. He had 21 points and 15 rebounds on 7 of 11 shooting. Ultimately, FDU did the only thing it could to stop Edey. The Knights triple-teamed him. Edey’s last field goal attempt came with 9:21 to go, an offensive putback that tied the game at 49.

Key moment

It felt like Purdue finally woke up when the Boilermakers went on an 11-0 run in the second half, taking a 47-41 lead.

Instead of burying a 16 seed as No. 1 seeds are supposed to do, the Boilermakers allowed FDU to return the favor with an 8-0 run of its own. The Knights never trailed again and, despite their own offensive woes, kept Purdue without a point for more than four minutes. Purdue turned the ball over four times in a span of 5:25 during FDU’s scoring drought.

“We had way too many turnovers,” Purdue redshirt junior Brandon Newman said. “I am sure we would like have at least four of those back. We let them hang around too long. Their confidence just continued to build as the game went on.”

Key stat

The storyline entering was Purdue’s size compared to FDU’s.

The Knights’ average height is 6-1 and tallest player 6-6. FDU is the smallest team in men’s Division I basketball, seemingly giving Purdue an advantage on the boards and in the paint.

FDU outscored Purdue 18-16 in the paint in the first half and had five offensive rebounds, equaling Purdue’s output on the offensive glass. Purdue was slightly better in both regards in the second half, but not in the way it needed to be to win an ugly game.

“I came from a mid major. Being able to beat a high major team, I know how that feels,” Purdue senior David Jenkins Jr. said. “I was coming in thirsty. I was coming in ready to go and beat the high major. A lot of credit. Those dudes were ready to go.

“When you are the 16 seed and you know you’re playing a 1 seed, you’re going to come in ready to go. Being a 1 seed, you’ve got to match that energy and give a little more energy. I don’t think we did that. They were ready to go all 40 minutes.”

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

Fairleigh Dickinson 63, Purdue 58

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (21-15): Almonor 0-4 1-2 1, Moore 7-17 2-2 19, Munden 2-4 2-3 7, Roberts 4-11 3-3 12, Singleton 3-10 0-0 8, Bligen 3-8 0-0 6, Tweedy 5-6 0-0 10, Reynolds 0-1 0-0 0, Emanuel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-62 8-10 63.

PURDUE (29-6): Gillis 3-10 3-3 10, Edey 7-11 7-10 21, Loyer 4-10 2-2 13, Newman 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 2-10 2-2 7, Jenkins 0-3 0-0 0, Morton 0-2 0-0 0, Furst 2-2 0-0 4, Kaufman-Renn 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 19-53 15-19 58.

Halftime—Fairleigh Dickinson 32-31. 3-Point Goals_Fairleigh Dickinson 7-23 (Moore 3-10, Singleton 2-7, Munden 1-1, Roberts 1-3, Almonor 0-2), Purdue 5-26 (Loyer 3-8, Smith 1-6, Gillis 1-7, Newman 0-1, Jenkins 0-2, Morton 0-2). Rebounds_Fairleigh Dickinson 28 (Singleton, Tweedy 6), Purdue 36 (Edey 15). Assists_Fairleigh Dickinson 11 (Singleton 5), Purdue 15 (Smith 6). Total Fouls_Fairleigh Dickinson 19, Purdue 13.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue basketball falls on wrong side of history with loss to 16-seed FDU