Fairleigh Dickinson stuns Purdue, becomes second No. 16 to top No. 1

COLUMBUS, Ohio — For just the second time in 152 tries, a No. 16 wore the slipper perfectly against a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.Sean Moore scored 19 and Grant Singleton added eight points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals as No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson shocked No. 1 Purdue 63-58 Friday night in an East Region first-round game.Despite sporting the smallest team in Division I basketball, FDU managed to overcome 21 points and 15 rebounds from 7-foot-4 All-American center Zach Edey.Moore’s steal and coast-to-coast layup with 1:36 put FDU ahead 58-53, before Fletcher Loyer hit a 3-pointer 12 seconds later. But another 3 from Moore with 65 seconds left restored the lead to five, 61-56.Down 61-58, Purdue’s Braden Smith drove the lane but Moore came from behind and blocked the shot. Fletcher Loyer’s corner triple was off the mark and Demetre Roberts sealed it with two free throws.The Boilermakers joined Virginia from 2018 as the only No. 1 seeds in the 64-team era to lose to a No. 16. With all other top seeds advancing this year, No. 1 seeds are now 150-2 against No. 16 draws.Fairleigh Dickinson, which became the first “play-in” No. 16 seed to advance, took advantage of four Purdue turnovers in a five-minute span to seize early control. The Knights, a team that starts four guard and a forward as the shortest team in Division I, gave Purdue fits all night with full-court pressure.Purdue scored 11 straight points during the first half but FDU quickly regained its footing and answered with a 13-5 run, highlighted by a double-team trap of Smith on an inbound pass. Singleton stole the ball and fed Heru Bligen for 32-29 lead. Purdue converted a pair of free throws before halftime and FDU settled for a 32-31 halftime edge.

Headlines