Matchup in the middle: Purdue basketball Zach Edey vs. NC State DJ Burns in Final Four

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Much was made of the Zach Edey vs. DJ Burns matchup coming into the Final Four. Neither big man had his best game in their Final Four matchup, in which Purdue beat North Carolina State 63-50.

Edey had 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots and 1 foul. He had a lot of trouble early in the second half, going more than 10 minutes before scoring. Edey dished to Fletcher Loyer for a 3-pointer on the left side late in the first half to squelch a Wolfpack run and give Purdue a 35-29 halftime lead.

“Anytime your best player is unselfish, everybody gets in line,” Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said postgame on the TBS telecast. “He didn’t come back to win couple games in the tournament. He came back to have a chance to win a championship.”

Purdue score: It wasn’t pretty but Purdue beats NC State in Final Four, will play for national championship

“(Playing for a championship is) what we’ve been talking about all year, what we’ve been talking about for four years,” Edey said, complimenting Burns postgame.

Burns had 8 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 4 assists, 2 turnovers and 1 blocked shot. First-half foul trouble prevented him finding a groove, and the Wolfpack had trouble generating anything in the second half.

Doyel: Edey arrives at Final Four with more awards, Burns-sized chip on his shoulder.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball Zach Edey vs. NC State DJ Burns in Final Four

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/matchup-middle-purdue-basketball-zach-225813730.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-04-06 22:58:13

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