For just the second time in men’s NCAA tournament history, a No. 16 seed has done the improbable and taken down a No. 1 seed, as Fairleigh Dickinson shocked top-seeded Purdue and won 63–58 on Friday in Columbus.
The Knights became the first and only other No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1 since UMBC stunned Virginia in the first round of the 2018 tournament.
Sean Moore led the way for Fairleigh Dickinson all night long, scoring 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting and 3-for-10 from beyond the arc. The Knights also utilized a frantic defense, double-teaming Purdue star center Zach Edey throughout the game and forcing 15 turnovers from the Boilermakers.
Edey was the sole bright spot for Purdue, scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the win. The Boilermakers struggled with a poor shooting night and ended the game 5-for-25 from beyond the arc.
The Knights came into the matchup with a clear, physical disadvantage as they ranked 363rd out 363 Division I teams in effective height rank, according to KenPom. Purdue, on the other hand, ranked first in the nation in the same category, but the size discrepancy alone wasn’t enough for the Boilermakers to pull out the victory.
In fact, Fairleigh Dickinson’s upset was historic for more than one reason. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Knights pulled off the largest upset in the men’s NCAA tournament since 1985 after entering the game as 23.5-point underdogs.
Fairleigh Dickinson will look to continue as this year’s Cinderella in the second round against the winner of No. 8 Memphis and No. 9 Florida Atlantic.
