PHOTO GALLERY: Purdue Loses to Fairleigh Dickinson in First Round of NCAA Tournament
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Purdue became the second team in the history of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament to lose to a No. 16 seed in the first round, falling 63-58 to Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday at Nationwide Arena.
The Boilermakers struggled to take care of the basketball, turning it over 16 times while also shooting just 5-of-26 from the 3-point line. Junior center Zach Edey led all scorers with 21 points and came down with 15 rebounds.
"I think we got a little rattled," Purdue freshman guard Fletcher Loyer said. "We were a little panicked early on. But in a game like, that you can't be panicked. You've got to go out there and let them know who is boss."
Purdue trailed by as many as six points in the first half before putting together an 11-0 run to take a 24-19 lead with 5:25 left before halftime. But the team was unable to stretch its lead into double digits and allowed Fairleigh Dickinson to keep things close.
The Knights cut their deficit and went into the locker room leading 32-31. The Boilermakers piled on another 11 unanswered points in the second half to go ahead by six points with 11:41 remaining. But once again, Fairleigh Dickinson was able to chip away at the narrow advantage.
Junior forward Sean Moore led the way by scoring 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting. Senior guard Demetre Roberts and sophomore forward Cameron Tweedy added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Purdue was outscored 22-11 in the final 11:27 and was only able to make three field goals in that span. Loyer, who scored 13 points, was responsible for the last eight points for the Boilermakers.
"They'd full front and they would sit someone underneath the rim," Edey said of Fairleigh Dickinson's defense. "Which makes it very hard to catch and get into a flow and rhythm. Credit to them, they had a great game plan coming in. And they executed it very well."
NCAA Tournament: Fairleigh Dickinson 63, Purdue 58
No. 1 seed Purdue lost to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson 63-58 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) goes up for the tip off with Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Ansley Almonor (5) in the first half at Nationwide Arena.
Mason Gillis
Mason Gillis (0) shoots the ball in the first half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Purdue Pete
Purdue Pete shows off in the first half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Braden Smith
Braden Smith (3) dribbles the ball defended by Fairleigh Dickinson Knights guard Demetre Roberts (2) in the first half at Nationwide Arena.
Zach Edey
Knights guard Heru Bligen (3) shoots the ball defended by Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15).
Fletcher Loyer
Fletcher Loyer (2) shoots the ball against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Coach Matt Painter
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter reacts to a play against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
Mason Gillis
Mason Gillis (0) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Zach Edey
Zach Edey (15) dunks the ball against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Trey Kaufman-Renn
Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) battles Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Ansley Almonor (5) for the ball.
Mason Gillis
Boilermakers forward Mason Gillis (0) goes to the basket against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
Purdue Boilermakers Cheerleaders
Purdue Boilermakers cheerleader in the second half against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) dunks during the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
Zach Edey and Mason Gillis
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) reacts to a foul call against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers guard David Jenkins Jr. (14), center Zach Edey (15) and guard Ethan Morton (25) walk to the bench during a timeout.
Fletcher Loyer
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) celebrates a 3-pointer against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena
Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) celebrates making a basket against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights at Nationwide Arena.
Ethan Morton
Purdue Boilermakers guard Ethan Morton (25) bites down on his jersey during the game against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
Fletcher Loyer and Zach Edey
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) blocks a shot from Fairleigh Dickinson Knights forward Sean Moore (11).
Matt Painter
Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter walks off the court after the game against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
-----
Related Stories on Purdue Basketball
- Zach Edey Undecided on Future at Purdue: Zach Edey has not decided whether or not he will return to Purdue next season. As a junior, he averaged more than 22 points and almost 13 rebounds per game. CLICK HERE
- What Matt Painter Said Following Purdue's Loss to Fairleigh Dickinson: After Purdue's 63-58 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night, coach Matt Painter addressed the media. Here's everything he had to say following the game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. CLICK HERE
- What Edey, Loyer Said After Purdue's Loss to Fairleigh Dickinson: Following a 63-58 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Zach Edey and Fletcher Loyer spoke to the media. The Boilermakers finished the 2022-23 season with a 29-6 overall record. CLICK HERE
- Purdue, Fairleigh Dickinson Live Blog: No. 1 seed Purdue tipped off against No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Columbus, Ohio. Here's how the game played out inside Nationwide Arena. CLICK HERE
-----
Keep up to date on everything at BoilermakersCountry.com by liking and following our Facebook page: Purdue Boilermakers on Sports Illustrated/FanNation.
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.