DJ Horne, NC State basketball fight, fall short in Final Four loss to Purdue
GLENDALE, Ariz. — As it had throughout its memorable March Madness run, NC State basketball didn’t back down against Purdue on the big stage at the Final Four.
The 11th-seeded Wolfpack fought until the final buzzer at State Farm Stadium, but Zach Edey and the top-seeded Boilermakers will play for the national championship after a 63-50 win.
After nine wins in nine elimination games, including an ACC Tournament championship and its first Final Four appearance since 1983, NC State (26-14) never led against Purdue (34-4), which will play UConn (35-3) or Alabama (25-11) on Monday night (9:20 p.m. ET, TBS).
In his final game, Raleigh native DJ Horne led the Wolfpack with 20 points. Here are some observations from NC State's season-ending loss to the Boilermakers.
Purdue’s Zach Edey wins battle of bigs vs NC State’s DJ Burns
In a battle between two of the best bigs in the nation, Purdue’s Zach Edey emerged as the victor against NC State’s DJ Burns. It was an uneven night for Burns, who dealt with foul trouble and missed six of his 10 shots. Burn finished with eight points and four assists. But Edey, the national player of the year in back-to-back seasons, continued his stretch of dominance with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
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NC State’s cold-shooting, Purdue’s 3-point shooting bury Wolfpack
NC State’s 3-point defense was a driving force during the Wolfpack’s run to the Final Four. In the first four games of the NCAA Tournament, State limited opponents to 23.7% from 3-point range. After missing 12 of its 15 attempts from beyond the arc against Tennessee, Purdue knocked down 10 of 25 treys (40%) to bury the Pack in the second half. To make matters worse, NC State missed 19 of its first 27 shots in the second half and the Boilermakers led by as many as 20 points.
Michael O’Connell injury hurts Wolfpack
Michael O’Connell turned into a postseason hero for NC State at the ACC Tournament when he extended the Wolfpack’s season with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Virginia. O’Connell has been the team’s best facilitator during its magical run in March Madness, but he suffered a hamstring injury in the first half against Purdue. He returned briefly in the second half, but clearly wasn't at full strength. It was a tough curveball for the Wolfpack, which had found a groove with its last-season rotation.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State vs Purdue in Final Four: Wolfpack's road ends with loss
