Zach Edey leads Purdue past NC State for national title game berth

April 6 (UPI) -- Zach Edey constantly used his 7-foot-4 frame to wrestle routes to the rim, while also altering shots on defense, to lead Purdue to a wire-to-wire Final Four win over North Carolina State on Saturday in Glendale, Ariz.

The two-time National Player of the Year scored 20 points and logged 12 rebounds in the 63-50 triumph at State Farm Stadium.

"These are the games you come back for," Edey told reporters. "These are the games you play for, that you work and practice every day for."

The top-seeded Boilermakers will face No. 1 UConn on Monday in the national title game in Glendale.

The Boilermakers held a 41-28 edge in rebounding and outscored the No. 11 Wolfpack 24-20 in the paint. They led by as many as 20 points and never trailed.

"It was a very competitive game," Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said. "I thought both teams' defenses were better than their offenses. It was just one of those grinder-type games where we made a few more shots and made enough threes."

Edey carried the Boilermakers in the first half. He scoring 14 points over the first 20 minutes to help the Boilermakers lead by as many as a dozen early on. The senior center constantly used his size, footwork and shooting touch to unleash shots from several angles inside the paint. He also dished passes to teammates when the shooting lanes closed.

An 11-4 Boilermakers run to start the second half deepened the Wolfpack deficit. The Wolfpack went on to cut the lead to seven points, but the Boilermakers responded with a 14-1 run to put the game away.

Boilermakers senior guard Lance Jones totaled 14 points and four rebounds. Sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer logged 11 points and four rebounds in the win.

Wolfpack senior guard D.J. Horne totaled 20 points in the loss. Junior guard Jayden Taylor chipped in 11 points off the Wolfpack bench.

The Boilermakers will battle the No. 1 UConn Huskies at 9:20 p.m. EDT Monday at State Farm Stadium. The game will air on TBS.