Gonzaga falls to Zach Edey, Purdue in Sweet 16: 'Very proud of how these guys battled'

Bulldogs couldn't handle Boilermakers down the stretch in 80-68 loss

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (13) and Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

DETROIT - A valiant effort from the Gonzaga Bulldogs wasn't enough against a hot night from the Purdue Boilermakers and their National Player of the Year frontrunner in Zach Edey.

The fifth-seeded Zags (27-8) went toe-to-toe with the 7-foot-4 post and his well-rounded supporting cast in the first half of Friday's Sweet 16 battle. But the combination of strong guard play from Braden Smith (14 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds), timely plays from Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones with Edey's presence down low were too much for Mark Few's bunch to handle.

"Hey, we're disappointed in how this game turned out, but obviously -- I mean, as a head coach, just very, very, very proud of how these guys battled and fought," Few said. "So tip your hats to Purdue."

Here are three takeaways from Gonzaga's season-ending loss:

PICK YOUR POSION

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) loses control of the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

There were two trains of thought for Gonzaga on the defensive end of the floor: put all of its attention on trying to stop Edey in the paint or take away the Boilermakers' supporting cast from the perimeter, where they've shot a nation-best 40.9% from behind the arc entering Friday.

Unfortunately for the Zags they got a dosage of both posions.

"[Edey] creates so much attention down there, you kind of have to pull in when the guards get downhill a little bit because they're going to throw lobs or kick out and hit a 3," said Ryan Nembhard. "So it's a pick your poison thing. There's not really too much to say about that, just he creates a lot of attention down there."

The Boilermakers' backcourt made it hard on Nembhard and Nolan Hickman coming off multiple screens in a single set, constantly putting pressure to either switch or pursue and risk getting beat. Either way Smith and Jones had their way in the first half, as each had a pair of 3-pointers while Mason Gillis came off the bench and drilled two triples himself.

Purdue went 7-of-13 from behind the arc before halftime and shot 53.6% from the field overall.

"When those guards shoot it like that, it's pick your poison," Few said. "They shot it great from 3, and then in the second half, we, I think, shut down that area pretty good. Then Edey was just a load. It's a nice entity to have, just pitch it into him."

Purdue's All-American center dictated how the second half played out, especially on the glass. Edey had eight rebounds, including three on the offensive end, and scored 16 of his game-high 27 points after halftime. Some possessions required multiple blue jerseys to crash the paint to keep the nation's second-best rebounder off the boards, and often to no avail.

FOUL TROUBLE SPELLS DOOM FOR GONZAGA'S BIGS

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Anton Watson (22) was in foul trouble the second half vs. Purdue. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Edey has punished team's all season with his ability to draw fouls through sheer physicality possession after possession. Handling a 7-foot-4, 285-pound big man is going to result in a lot of whistles against the opposition, no question. Gonzaga's frontcourt is deep, but even the three-headed monster of bigs in the starting lineup couldn't stay out of foul trouble against Edey.

Edey had a lot to do with Anton Watson and Graham Ike fouling out before the final buzzer, but arguably the most important whistle came just before the first half ended. With less than 10 seconds on the clock, Edey caught an entry pass from Smith and threw down a dunk despite a solid whack on the head from Gregg, who picked up his third foul on the play.

"That was a big basket, the and-one there at the half," Few said. "I thought that impacted us a little bit. We couldn't start Benny in the second half."

Gregg sat the first three and a half minutes of the second half while Stromer filled in on the wing. Purdue gradually pushed its lead to seven points before the 6-foot-10 junior checked in at the 16:02 mark, which was followed by two-straight scores from the Zags to make it a 51-48 ballgame.

The game never got closer though, as the Boilermakers rattled off a 16-2 run to extend their lead to 16 points. Their run coincided with Anton Watson going to the bench with his fourth foul. Gonzaga weathered the storm briefly before Ike racked up three fouls in just over a minute trying to defend Edey.

TIP OF THE CAP TO WATSON

Anton Watson (22) has played his final game for Gonzaga. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

As Watson walked off the court with 1:34 left on the clock, one of the program's most important players of the last half-decade had just taken his last steps in a Bulldogs uniform.

The fifth-year senior finished his career with over 1,400 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists. He's second all-time in steals with 215, including 21 in the NCAA Tournament — a program record — and is third in games played (151), wins (132) and played in four Sweet 16 games in his remarkable career.

All that said, there isn't any counting stat that can measure what the Spokane native meant to his coach and hometown team.

"I'm so happy that we kind of delivered on everything we talked about when we first recruited him to come to Gonzaga. He's had just an awesome career," Few said. "He's been unbelievable. He broke presses and solved zones when we didn't know what the hell we were doing. That's just what he is, he's just a complete player. He's my problem solver."

Watson obviously hadn't had much time to reflect on his career before Friday's press conference, but for everyone else who's followed the Gonzaga Prep product over the last five seasons, they'll look back and remember one of the most unique and inspiring careers in Gonzaga history. From touted high school recruit to battling through a shoulder injury as a freshman, to taking a step back in light of the star power on the roster that surrounded him year after year, only to finally step into a larger role as a fifth-year player striving to set up an NBA career for himself. Watson's career arc is something Gonzaga fans will likely never see again.

"I'm just super grateful, super thankful," Watson said. "Yeah, it's surreal. I haven't really had time to let it set in. But I enjoyed the season with my coaches, my teammates, just all the fans, just all the love I've gotten this year. It's been super special to me, and I know my family, they appreciate it too."

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