NCAA Tournament: Midwest Region Round Two Recap
It was the only game in the Midwest on Saturday, but Purdue vs. Iowa State was certainly an exciting one.
The (4) Purdue Boilermakers faced (5) Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday in a blowout-turned-thriller in the Midwest Region. In the first five minutes, the game looked like what would be expected of a typical 4-5 seed matchup: close, with near equal efforts by both teams. This energy stayed consistent for a good portion of the first half. Deonte Burton and Matt Thomas made a lot of great plays for the Cyclones, keeping them in a good position.
On the other side, Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan did what he does best – be aggressive and score. Swanigan had two 3-pointers in the first seven minutes, and he went on the way to his 28th double-double of the season. With five minutes left in the first half, Iowa State led by just one point. Then, Isaac Haas and Swanigan got on the floor together. This turned Purdue into an even more efficent and aggressive team, as they ended the first half on a 15-4 run. Purdue led by double-digits after the first 20 minutes, 44-31.
Purdue used their energy from the end of the first half to come out strong at the beginning of the second. Swanigan continued to thrive and flirted with a triple-double, along with an excellent effort by Vince Edwards. However, the Cyclones refused to go out easily. Iowa State went on a 12-0 run, which included a few 3-pointers by Donovan Jackson and Nazareth Mitrou-Long.
This forced Purdue into a timout as they were barely hanging on, 65-62. With just over three minutes left, the game was tied at 71-71. It then became a game of free throws in the final few minutes, and Purdue was able to overcome a fighing Iowa State. Burton and Thomas combined for 45 for the Cyclones. Leading for the Boilermakers was Vince Edwards (21 PTS, 10 REB) and Caleb Swanigan (20 PTS, 12 REB, 7 AST).
FINAL: Purdue 80, Iowa State 76
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