Purdue has Arizona on wraps at halftime of Elite Eight showdown
The Boilermakers had an incredible first half.
Purdue has Arizona on wraps at halftime of Elite Eight showdown originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Purdue Boilermakers punched first against the tournament favorite.
For the first time in this NCAA Tournament, the Arizona Wildcats look uncomfortable. At halftime in San Jose, it’s the Purdue Boilermakers controlling the game, leading 38-31 in a West Region Elite Eight matchup that was expected to tilt heavily toward the top overall seed. Instead, Purdue dictated everything for 20 minutes.
Hot shooting The Boilermakers shot 43 percent from the field and a sharp 50 percent from three, knocking down 7 of 14 attempts. More importantly, they controlled tempo and kept Arizona from ever finding a rhythm. This wasn’t a shootout.
This was Purdue turning the game into something uncomfortable. Arizona, a team that entered the night 35-2 and widely viewed as the most dominant group in the field, looked human. The Wildcats shot just 41 percent overall and a brutal 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.