No. 2 Purdue became the latest team to advance to the Sweet 16 when the Boilermakers topped No. 10 Butler 76-73 Sunday afternoon in Detroit.
Purdue lost one of its top scorers and rebounders, senior center Isaac Haas, when he fractured his elbow in the first round. It was originally reported that he would be unavailable for the rest of the tournament. However, Haas warmed up with the team and reportedly attempted to play:
Isaac Haas will NOT be playing today. He wanted to, but ultimately the brace he would have to wear was NOT cleared by the NCAA. @BoilerBall @CBSSports
— Allie LaForce (@ALaForce) March 18, 2018
Vincent Edwards led the Boilermakers with 20 points and back-up center Matt Haarms stepped up to grab a team-leading six rebounds in Haas’s place.
The Bulldogs led early and kept the game interesting as forward Kelan Martin paced all scorers with 29 points, two days after scoring 27 in the first round.
But this 3-pointer by Dakota Mathias from the top of the key gave Purdue a five-point margin and put the game away.
BIG TIME 👌 FOR PURDUE!!!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/XTUgcJknQi
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 18, 2018
Purdue and Butler are both located in Indiana, less than 65 miles apart. It’s one of two games Sunday that pit two teams from the same state; the second round will conclude at night with West Virginia taking on Marshall.
Purdue will face No. 3 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 in Boston for the right to play in the East Region final.
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