FINAL: Tennessee Falls To Purdue In Elite 8

The Tennessee Volunteers fell in their Elite 8 showdown with the Purdue Boilermakers.

Mar 31, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) shoots the ball in the / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers fell in their Elite 8 showdown with the Purdue Boilermakers.

Tennessee hoped to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history. While they played the Purdue Boilermakers well in both halves, they were outlasted in the final few minutes. Forward Zach Edey was a consistent option for Purdue to close the matchup; he consistently got to the free-throw line and finished the afternoon with 40 points and 16 rebounds. Edey finished with 21 free throw attempts.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht had a productive outing, finishing with 37 points and six made three-pointers. His magical season with the Vols ends; Knecht was a projected lottery pick in the NBA Draft before the NCAA Tournament, and he's only bolstered his stock over the past four games. He finished 28 points short of Tennessee's all-time single-season scoring record, held by Allan Houston.

The Vols rotated their big men a lot due to foul trouble; forward J.P. Estrella did an admirable job when forward Tobe Awaka fouled out of the game. However, Edey is a consensous first-team All-American for a reason. Purdue made many plays over the course of the game that allowed them to play with the lead. Tennessee's magical season comes to a close, but they should be proud of their efforts en route to one of the best runs at the University of Tennessee.

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