The first game of Sunday’s second round action went right down to the wire. We nearly had an upset as well.
Tenth-seeded Butler gave in-state rival Purdue, the No. 2 seed, all it could handle. However, Purdue held on to win, thanks to Dakota Mathias.
The senior sharpshooter drilled a three-pointer with 14.2 seconds left to put Purdue up 76-71. Here’s Mathias’ shot.
Butler cut it to 76-73 and had one last chance to tie it, but missed. The Bulldogs actually got a solid look.
With the win, Purdue advances to its second-straight Sweet Sixteen. The Boilermakers will take on third-seeded Texas Tech, who held off Florida on Saturday night.
Purdue has not advanced to the Elite Eight since 2000 when the Boilermakers lost to Wisconsin in the West Regional final. Purdue hasn’t made the Final Four since 1980.
The Boilermakers won today sans big man Isaac Haas. Haas has a fractured elbow, but attempted to play with a brace. However, NCAA regulations deemed the brace illegal.