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NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Purdue vs UConn
The National Championship Game Is on Monday Night at 9:20 PM ET
Who’s Winning the Natty?
In college basketball news, the Purdue Boilermakers dispatched NC State while the defending champions from the University of Connecticut topped Alabama, setting up an epic battle on Monday night between two No. 1 seeds for the NCAA basketball national championship game.
Cinderella Story Ends for NC State
The clock struck midnight for the gritty No. 11 seed, NC State, on Saturday as they simply could not handle Zach Edey and the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers. When the dust settled, Purdue cruised to a 63-50 victory over the Wolfpack and the soon-to-be two-time Player of the Year proved, yet again, why he is the most dominant force in college basketball. Zach Edey’s stats on the evening ended with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots.
Zach Edey racked up ANOTHER double-double tonight 🔥
The big man propelled Purdue to their first National Championship game in over 50 years 🙌 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/J9lpF9BKxX
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
But it should be noted that NC State’s senior guard, DJ Horne, was the only double-digit scoring starter on his team with 20 points while teammate Jayden Taylor came off the bench to drop 11 points of his own in a losing effort.
It was a disappointing ending to a sensational run for the upstart No. 11 seed, conjuring images of the late Jimmy Valvano’s 1983 Wolfpack edition that entered as a No. 6 entry and wound up winning a national title with a stunning two-point victory over the mighty Houston Cougars.
What a run it’s been 👏
Thank you, NC State 🐺 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/BdwAY1RGvl
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
Huskies Poised to Repeat
No. 4 Alabama hung tough with the Huskies through the first half, trailing by only four points before things began to turn. That is because the top offensive team in the nation kept their foot on the throttle while their defense knuckled up and shut down the Crimson Tide offense.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Huskies vanquished the Tide, 86-72, and will face their sternest test to date when they tip off against 7’4” Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers in the most important college basketball game of the season on Monday night.
THE #NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIP IS SET 🔥
WHO YA GOT? 🍿#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/TUCmCurk9w
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
After spending his first two years at Ohio, college basketball rumors ran rampant as to where Mark Sears would spend his final two seasons after entering the transfer portal. Fortunately for Bama hoops fans, the Muscle Shoals native returned to his home state and led all scorers with 24 points on Saturday night. Although it was not enough, it was a performance to remember as Sears went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and shot over 64% from the field in the losing effort.
Mark Sears had an incredible tournament leading Alabama to it’s first final 4 🐘
Game 1 | CoC: 30 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb,
Game 2 | GCU: 26 pts, 12 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl
Game 3 | UNC: 18 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl
Game 4 | Clemson: 23 pts, 7 Threes, 3 reb
Game 5 | UConn: 24 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast pic.twitter.com/RCXvGB5R7k— SEC Hoops World 🌎 (@SEC_Wrld) April 7, 2024
Purdue and UConn will meet on Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona at 9:20 ET for the last game of the NCAAB tournament. The game will be nationally broadcast on TBS.
