Source: Jamie Squire / Getty
[Pheonix, AZ]- Purdue’s season has ended without a National Championship Trophy in West Lafayette.
Purdue fell to defending champion UConn 75-60 during Monday Night’s National Championship Game in Pheonix, Arizona.
The title game started as a back-and-forth battle between the Boilermakers and Huskies. The lead changed hands six times in the first half. Purdue’s largest lead all game was just two.
In the first half, Purdue shot fourteen of sixteen from the field. In the second half, the Boilers only hit seven of their twenty-one shots. Purdue also went 3:20 without a made shot in the second half.
For UConn, the second half saw thirteen of their twenty-seven shots fall.
The three-point line was non-existent for Purdue, going 1-7 from distance. UConn went 6-22.
Purdue had one of their lowest turnover games of the tournament, only giving the ball away nine times. UConn turned the ball over eight times. At one point, Purdue had eight turnovers to just four assists.
The game was truly a battle in the paint, with the Huskies outscoring the Boilers 44-40 at the rim. UConn also outrebounded Purdue 45-38.
Individually, Zach Edey was dominant in his final game in a Purdue uniform. Edey went 15-25 from the field and 70% from the free throw line for a 37-point night. He also hauled in ten rebounds for Purdue.
Braden Smith was the only other double figure scorer for Purdue, notching twelve points. Smith hit Purdue’s only three-pointer of the night. Transfer Lance Jones finished with five points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had four, and Camden Heide had two. No other Boilermaker scored in the loss.
The Boilers run to their first National Championship Game since 1969 included wins over:
- (16) Grambling 78-50
- (8) Utah State 106-67
- (5) Gonzaga 80-68
- (2) Tennessee 72-66
- (11) NC State 63-50
The Boilermakers end the 2023-24 campaign with multiple individual and team records. Purdue won the most games in a season with 34 wins. Zach Edey became the first Big Ten player with over 2,400 points and 1,200 rebounds in his career. Edey also passed Rick Mount for consecutive games with double digit scoring numbers (74), Terry Dischinger for career double-doubles (55), and Passed Joe Barry Carroll for most rebounds by a Purdue player. Edey also set the record for most Big Ten Player of the Week awards (11) and is Purdue’s all-time leading scorer.
In the regular season, Purdue became the first back-to-back outright regular season Big Ten Champions since Ohio State in 2006 and 2007. This was also Purdue’s first back-to-back conference championship since they three peated from 1994 to 1996.
Next season will likely look different for the Boilermakers. They had six seniors on the roster this season: Zach Edey, Lance Jones, Carson Barrett, Ethan Morton, Chase Martin, and Mason Gillis.
Purdue is now 0-2 in the National Championship. They have the most tournament wins without a National Championship with 49.
