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Rapid Reaction: Purdue escapes scare from Old Dominion, advances to play Villanova
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It won’t go down as the prettiest win of the season, but Purdue did just enough on Thursday to avoid an upset an defeat Old Dominion.
Purdue shot a paltry 37.7 percent from the floor and made just nine of its 30 three-point attempts, but it was enough to knock off the Monarchs, posting a 61-48 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers have now won a game in each of its last three tournament appearances.
The Boilermakers were put behind the eight ball before the game even tipped off, as starting guard Nojel Eastern rolled his ankle while in the layup line during pre-game warmups. The All-B1G Defensive Team selection missed most of the game.
But Purdue responded well, and the defense was outstanding. The Boilermakers held Old Dominion to 26.9 percent shooting from the floor and allowed the Monarchs to get to the foul line just six times for the night.
Carsen Edwards had a big night for Purdue, despite another woeful night of shooting. He scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds while shooting seven-of-23 from the field. Matt Haarms was the only other Boiler to reach double figures, adding 13 points in the win.
Old Dominion was led by Ahmad Caver and B.J. Smith, who combined to score 33 of the team’s 48 points.
Purdue advances to the second round where it will play reigning national champion Villanova with a trip to the Sweet 16 hanging in the balance. The Boilers have been one of the final 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament each of the last two seasons.
Battling a sharpshooting Wildcats team, Purdue will have to shoot the ball a lot more efficiently in order to advance. The health of Eastern will be an important factor in the contest, as well.
Purdue and Villanova will go head to head in Hartford on Saturday night.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB