

COLUMBUS (AP) — Fairleigh Dickinson became the second 16th seed in history to win in the NCAA Tournament, gorgeous major-seeded Purdue 63-58 behind 19 points from Sean Moore and a relentless, tight-fisted defense Friday evening.
The shortest group in the tournament, the Knights (21-15) showed no worry of attacking 7-foot-four All-America center Zach Edei from the start out. The FDU players had been quicker and additional composed than the Huge Ten champion Boilermakers (29-six).
5 years ago, UMBC showed the way for the small guys by defeating Virginia in a 16-1 1st win immediately after various close calls more than the years. Nonetheless, No. 16 had a 1-150 record against No. 1 and was 1-151 general just before shocking FDU.
Immediately after the final horn, FDU players battled each and every other on the Nationwide Arena floor, exactly where fans from Memphis and Florida Atlantic joined forces to cheer the Knights on in the final minutes.
Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win the Northeast Conference tournament, falling by a single point in the title game to Merrimack, which was ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to NCAA guidelines barring it from the postseason as it is nevertheless finishing a 4-year transfer from Division II .
FDU held Purdue scoreless for additional than five 1/two minutes down the stretch and moved inside 5 on a three-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 residence. Purdue was a No. three seed when it lost to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s, an additional modest New Jersey college, in the Sweet 16 final year.
Eddy completed with 21 points and 15 rebounds in what may be his final college game, but the Knights regularly denied him the ball down the stretch. He did not try a shot in the final nine minutes. The junior center is a achievable NBA lottery choose, but the bitterness of this loss could force him to stick about for an additional year.
The Knights’ two earlier NCAA tournament wins had been in the major 4, such as this year when they beat Texas Southern 84-61. Immediately after that game, Knights coach Tobin Anderson told his players he believed they could manage Edei and Co.
“The additional I see Purdue, the additional I believe we can beat them,” Anderson told his players in the locker space.
Some of Purdue’s players mentioned they felt disrespected by the comments, which proved prophetic.
The Knights will now meet the winner of Memphis-Florida Atlantic on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16 and a trip to play at Madison Square Garden in New York subsequent week – just a brief drive from the private school’s campus in Teaneck, New Jersey.





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