DETROIT — Zach Edey, the tall player for Purdue, endured all the aggression from Gonzaga on Friday night, ending with 27 points and 14 rebounds to help Purdue win 80-68 and get closer to the Final Four.
Gonzaga heavily defended and attacked the 7-foot-4 center, including slapping him on the forehead at one point, but it didn't stop him or his top-ranked team.
Purdue, which was the second No. 1 seed to lose in the first round last year, will play the winner of the later game between Tennessee and Creighton in the Midwest Region on Sunday. A victory would send the program to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.
Braden Smith contributed 14 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds for Purdue. However, as usual for Purdue (32-4), the game came down to the other team's inability to contain the nation's top scorer.
Despite putting up a fight for 30 minutes, fifth-seeded Gonzaga (27-8) was hindered by fouls and a shrinking basket, leading to the end of their hopes.
Graham Ike scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for coach Mark Few's Bulldogs, who shot only 38% in the first 15 minutes of the second half and lost to Edey and the Boilermakers for the third time in the past two seasons. Ike, like all the Gonzaga big men, spent the evening in foul trouble and left the court for good with 5:07 left.
