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Ryan Cline’s hot hand leads Purdue to win over Tennessee, first Elite Eight appearance since 2000

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

At times, it looked like it was going to come way too easy. At other times, it looked like it might not happen at all. In the end, though, Purdue punched its ticket to the Elite Eight.

Purdue controlled the first half against Tennessee in Thursday night’s Sweet Sixteen matchup and built up a huge 18-point advantage in the second half, but it still took overtime for the Boilermakers to secure a victory and end a drought that has stretched nearly two decades.

With just under 16 minutes to play, Purdue took a 51-33 lead and appeared to be cruising to a Sweet Sixteen victory in Louisville. But Tennessee used a 14-2 run and later a 14-0 run to claw back into the game and eventually take a 73-70 with less than four minutes to play.

Tennessee even owned an 82-80 lead with 2.5 seconds left, but star Carsen Edwards was a fouled on a three-point attempt, putting him at the line for three shots and a chance to win. The All-American guard knocked down two of the freebies, forcing overtime.

Purdue never trailed in overtime and posted a 99-94 win over the Volunteers, setting a date with either Virginia or Oregon with a trip to the Final Four on the line. It’s the first time the Boilermakers have reached the Elite Eight under Matt Painter and the first time since 2000.

Edwards was the leading scorer, totaling 29 points in the win for Purdue, but Ryan Cline was the story from Louisville on Thursday night. The senior guard scored 27 points and knocked home 7-of-10 shots from deep range.

During some of Tennessee’s biggest runs, Cline was the only answer.

Purdue now sits just one victory away from reaching the Final Four. It has not reached the pinnacle of college basketball since 1980.

Dustin Schutte

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