LIVE BLOG: Follow Purdue's NCAA Tournament Game Against Fairleigh Dickinson in Real Time
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 1 seed Purdue basketball's NCAA Tournament run begins against No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson at 6:50 p.m. ET on Friday inside Nationwide Arena.
The Boilermakers are undefeated in the month of March, riding a five-game win streak entering their first-round matchup with the Knights. The team began the postseason by winning this year's Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament in Chicago.
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Purdue begins its NCAA Tournament journey on Friday in Columbus. Follow along below for full coverage throughout the game:
9:05 p.m. ET, FINAL — Purdue's biggest flaws show up in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Boilermakers had 16 turnovers and shoot 5-of-26 from the 3-point line. Fairleigh Dickinson becomes the second No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed, winning 63-58.
9:00 p.m. ET — Timeout Purdue. Fairleigh Dickinson leads 61-58 with 18.9 to go. The Boilermakers need a 3-pointer, but they're currently 5-of-25 from deep.
8:51 p.m. ET — Fletcher Loyer makes his second 3-pointer of the second half to cut Purdue's deficit to just two points. But on the other end of the floor, Sean Moore drills a deep shot to make it 61-56 with 1:03 left to go.
8:48 p.m. ET — Purdue calls a timeout with 1:44 left in the game trailing Fairleigh Dickinson 56-53.
8:42 p.m. ET, UNDER 4 — Both teams have gone more than four minutes without scoring. Purdue trails Fairleigh Dickinson 54-53 with 3:07 left in the game. The Boilermakers are 4-of-23 from the 3-point line.
8:31 p.m. ET, UNDER 8 — Fairleigh Dickinson leads Purdue 52-50 with 7:57 left to play. The Boilermakers have three turnovers in the last 35 seconds, 13 total for the game.
8:27 p.m. ET — Fairleigh Dickinson claws back into the game with an 8-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Grant Singleton. Purdue ties the game at 49-49 with a layup from Zach Edey.
8:19 p.m. ET, UNDER 12 — It's now a 10-0 run for Purdue after Caleb Furst gets to the lane for a layup. The Boilermakers lead 46-41 with 11:56 left in the game. Zach Edey has 17 points, and Mason Gillis has added 10.
8:17 p.m. ET — Zach Edey and Mason Gillis fueling an 8-0 Purdue run. Both players score on and-one opportunities, and the Boilermakers have a 44-41 lead.
8:15 p.m. ET — Zach Edey has the last five points for Purdue, and the Boilermakers tie things up at 41-41 with more than 13 minutes still to play. Edey has 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and is 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.
8:09 p.m. ET, UNDER 16 — Fairleigh Dickinson leads 39-36 with 15:01 left in the game. The Boilermakers have missed their last seven shots over the last four-plus minutes. Mason Gillis has all five of the team's points since emerging from the locker room.
8:02 p.m. ET — Mason Gillis scores the first basket of the second half, a 3-pointer to put the Boilermakers ahead. But Fairleigh Dickinson immediately responds with a 3-pointer of their own.
7:39 p.m. ET, HALFTIME — Fairleigh Dickinson goes into the locker room with a 32-31 lead over Purdue at halftime. The Knights are using their quickness to get great looks at the rim. The Boilermakers are 2-of-11 from the 3-point line.
7:33 p.m. ET — Purdue hasn't made a shot from the field in the last three minutes, and Fairleigh Dickinson takes a 28-27 lead with just over a minute before halftime. The Knights are using their quickness to make space for drives toward the rim.
7:26 p.m. ET, UNDER 4 — Purdue has a 26-22 lead over Fairleigh Dickinson with 3:28 left in the first half. Boilermakers are 2-of-10 from the 3-point line despite getting plenty of quality looks. Zach Edey has 10 points.
7:24 p.m. ET — Purdue now with seven turnovers in the first half. The Boilermakers lead by two after a 3-pointer from Joe Munden Jr.
7:17 p.m. ET, UNDER 8 — Purdue takes the lead over Fairleigh Dickinson after a 3-pointer from Fletcher Loyer and a layup from Mason Gillis. The boilermakers are up 20-19 with 7:03 left in the half and ride a 7-0 run. The Knights haven't scored in more than three minutes.
7:13 p.m. ET — Zach Edey knocks down a pair of free throws, and he now has the last six points for Purdue.
7:08 p.m. ET, UNDER 12 — Purdue trails Fairleigh Dickinson 19-13 with 9:44 left to play in the first half. The Knights have made their last three shots from the field and are 3-of-7 from the 3-point line so far.
7:07 p.m. ET — Zach Edey finds his first basket of the game with around 11 minutes left to play in the first half. He missed his first three shots from the floor. On the next trip down the court, Edey scores for the second straight possession.
7:05 p.m. ET — Purdue has four turnovers in the last four minutes while notching five fouls so far in the first half. Fairleigh Dickinson has a 12-9 lead and is 2-of-4 from the three-throw line.
6:59 p.m. ET — Purdue needs to take away the 3-point line for Fairleigh Dickinson. Grant Singleton finds space and is able to connect from deep. The Knights are 2 for 4 from range so far in the first half.
6:56 p.m. ET, UNDER 16 — Purdue leads Fairleigh Dickinson 7-5 at the first media timeout. There's 15:47 left before halftime. Braden Smith has five points, and the Boilermakers have a 5-2 rebounding advantage in the first five minutes.
6:53 p.m. ET — Braden Smith hits a 3-pointer for Purdue to give the team its first lead of the game. The Boilermakers are 3-of-6 from the field to start the game.
6:52 p.m. ET — Braden Smith pulls up at the left elbow for Purdue's first bucket. On the other end of the floor, Sean Moore hits a 3-pointer for Fairleigh Dickinson. The Boilermakers quickly break the Knights' press and are able to find an open shot underneath the basket.
Tipoff — Purdue wins the opening tip, and Zach Edey's first shot is short of the basket. Fairleigh Dickinson scores first as Sean Moore drives into the lane for a layup.
Purdue starters:
- Freshman guard Braden Smith
- Freshman guard Fletcher Loyer
- Junior guard Brandon Newman
- Junior forward Mason Gillis
- Junior center Zach Edey
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Related Stories on Purdue Basketball
- How to Watch Purdue vs. Fairleigh Dickinson: No. 1 seed Purdue (29-5) faces off against No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson (20-15) on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The two teams are scheduled to play at 6:50 p.m. ET at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Here's how to watch the game, with all your TV information, top scorers, coaching bios and more. CLICK HERE
- Matt Painter Previews Purdue's Game Against Fairleigh Dickinson: Coach Matt Painter met with the media on Thursday ahead of Purdue's NCAA Tournament matchup against Fairleigh Dickinson. Here's the complete transcript of his press conference. CLICK HERE
- Edey, Gillis Preview Purdue's Game Against Fairleigh Dickinson: Mason Gillis and Zach Edey met with the media on Thursday ahead of Purdue's NCAA Tournament matchup against Fairleigh Dickinson. Here's the complete transcript of their press conference. CLICK HERE
- Zach Edey, Purdue Presents Next Challenge for Fairleigh Dickinson: Fairleigh Dickinson is the smallest team in the NCAA Tournament and now has Purdue, led by 7-foot-4 junior center Zach Edey, standing in its way. The two teams are scheduled to tip off at 6:50 p.m. ET on Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. CLICK HERE
- Tobin Anderson Says Fairleigh Dickinson Can Beat Purdue: Following Fairleigh Dickinson's 84-61 win over Texas Southern, coach Tobin Anderson shared his confidence in the team's chances of beating No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.