COLUMBUS, Ohio — 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 within the tourney, the Knights (21-15) showed no fear in swarming 7-foot-4 All-America center Zach Edey from the beginning. FDU’s players were quicker and more composed than the Big Ten champion Boilermakers (29-6).
Five years ago, UMBC showed the way in which for the little guys by overwhelming Virginia in the primary 16-over-1 victory after quite a few close calls through the years. Still, No. 16s had a 1-150 record against No. 1s and were 1-151 overall before FDU’s shocker.
After the ultimate horn, FDU’s players mobbed one another on the ground of Nationwide Arena, where the fans from Memphis and Florida Atlantic joined forces in cheering on the Knights in the ultimate minutes.
Fairleigh Dickinson didn’t even win the Northeast Conference Tournament, falling by one point within the title game to Merrimack, which couldn’t take part in the NCAA Tournament due to an NCAA rule that bars it from the postseason since it’s still completing its four-year transition from Division II.
FDU held Purdue scoreless for greater than 5 1/2 minutes down the stretch and moved ahead by five on a 3-pointer by Moore — who’s 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 fifteen seed Saint Peter’s, one other small Latest Jersey school, within the Sweet 16 last yr.
Edey finished with 21 point and 15 rebounds in what could have been his final college game, however the Knights consistently denied him the ball down the stretch. He didn’t attempt a shot in the ultimate nine minutes. The junior center is a possible NBA lottery pick, however the bitterness of this defeat could sway him to stay around for an additional yr.
The Knights’ two prior NCAA Tournament wins got here within the First 4, including this yr, once they drubbed Texas Southern 84-61. After that game, Knights coach Tobin Anderson told his players he believed they may handle Edey and Co.
“The more I see Purdue, the more I believe we are able to beat them,” Anderson told his players within the locker room.
A few of Purdue’s players said they felt disrespected by the comments, which turned out to be prophetic.
The Knights will now meet the Memphis-Florida Atlantic winner on Sunday for a Sweet 16 berth and trip to play at Madison Square Garden in Latest York next week — just a brief drive from the private school’s campus in Teaneck, Latest Jersey.
