Purdue and Canadian big man Zach Edey win big again in the Sweet 16, defeating Gonzaga 80-68.

DETROIT (AP) — Big man Zach Edey of Purdue University endured all the torture Gonzaga could dish out to him on Friday night, leading the Boilermakers to an 80-68 victory and putting them one win away from the Final Four. Edey finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

DETROIT (AP) — Big man Zach Edey of Purdue University endured all the torture Gonzaga could dish out to him on Friday night, leading the Boilermakers to an 80-68 victory and putting them one win away from the Final Four. Edey finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds.

Even though Gonzaga leaned on, swatted, grabbed, and at one point even slapped the 7-foot-4 Toronto center across the forehead, he and his top-seeded team were unstoppable.

Purdue, which last year became the second-ever No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, will play the winner of Tennessee vs. Creighton on Friday night in the Midwest Region on Sunday. Should the team triumph there, it would make its first appearance in the Final Four since 1980.

Although Braden Smith led the Boilermakers with 14 points, 15 assists, and 8 rebounds, the difference in this game and most others for Purdue (32-4) was the other team’s inability to contain the top scorer in the country.

Coach Matt Painter of Purdue stated, “Obviously we’ve always got a place to go with the ball with big Zach.”

After 30 minutes, fifth-seeded Gonzaga (27-8) gave it their best shot, but foul trouble and a steadily dwindling basket put a stop to their chances.

Graham Ike had 18 points and 10 rebounds for coach Mark Few’s Bulldogs, who shot only 38% over the first 15 minutes of the second half and fell to 0-3 vs. Edey and the Boilermakers over the past two seasons. Ryan Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., had 14 points and seven assists for Gonzaga.

Like all Gonzaga big men, Ike spent the evening in foul trouble; he got his fifth and trudged off the court for good with 5:07 left.

Halfway through the second half, Ike received his second foul while he and Edey were slugging it out in the paint. When the referee blew his whistle, they started biting each other. Edey converted one of his two free throws at that moment, but he also followed with a few baby hooks to cap off a 10-0 run that extended the lead to 16 points.

But nothing captured the annoyance quite like when Edey pinned Ben Gregg, another Gonzaga big man, beneath the hoop at the conclusion of the first half. While Edey made an easy layup, Gregg flailed and smacked the center with a roundhouse open-handed slap flush across the forehead.

For the AP Player of the Year from the previous season, who essentially has a double-double when he gets out of bed in the morning, this is all routine. At 14:44 in the second half, he scored his 27th of the season and his 66th of his career. Edey completed a five-shot drive down the court with a jumper in the paint.

Gonzaga lost to Purdue 32–25 in rebounding.

Edey ended the night with a 7 for 10 record from the line and a 10 for 15 record from the floor. Despite not having a block, he caused Gonzaga problems from his low position in Purdue’s zone, changing at least six shots in the second half.