Vincent Edwards, Purdue Hold Off Butler's Upset Bid, Advance to Sweet 16

Vincent Edwards overcame early foul trouble to score 20 points as the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers beat the No. 10 Butler Bulldogs, 76-73, in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in Detroit.

Kelan Martin scored 29 for Butler, who finished its season with a 21-14 record.

Purdue held a 70-60 lead with six minutes remaining, but Butler caught fire down the stretch as it went on an 11-3 run, capped by a Sean McDermott layup with 1:56 left.

The Boilermakers proceeded to turn the ball over on their next two possessions, but Edwards blocked a Butler layup after the first, and Martin missed a three-pointer following the second. Dakota Mathias then drilled the shot of the game with a three-pointer from the top of the arc to give Purdue a 76-71 advantage:

However, Martin hit a layup on the other end, and P.J. Thompson of Purdue missed the front end of a one-and-one with two seconds left, giving Butler a last-gasp chance to tie the game.

For a split second, it looked like Butler might mimic Michigan's play from Saturday night in which Jordan Poole hit a game-winning three with no time left. Kamar Baldwin got the ball and evaded a defender, but his half-court three-pointer was just off line:

Edwards committed two fouls within the first five minutes for Purdue and was forced to sit. However, he returned to the game midway through the first half and caught fire, scoring 12 points before halftime and helping give the Boilermakers a 40-34 lead.

He committed his third foul with three seconds left in the half, which led to two Martin free throws. But Purdue still took a 40-36 lead into the break, and Edwards avoided the ref's whistle for the rest of the game.

Purdue's senior center Isaac Haas, who suffered a fractured elbow in the first round, was forced to miss the game after the NCAA did not approve his brace, per Allie LaForce of CBS and TNT:

In stepped 7'3" freshman center Matt Haarms, a talented defensive player but unpolished on the offensive end. Haarms played well in Haas' absence, posting seven points, six rebounds and two blocks.

Purdue won even though Carsen Edwards, the team's top scorer this season at 18.4 points per game, made just four of 17 field-goal attempts.

Martin, meanwhile, had a remarkable performance to keep Butler in it. Not only did Martin score 29, but he was efficient along the way, hitting nine of 18 shots and all eight of his free throws.

Derek Schultz of Fox Sports 97.5 in Indianapolis praised Martin postgame (and post-career, as this was the senior's final game as a Bulldog):

The difference overall may have been each team's efforts from beyond the three-point line. Butler went just 6-of-20 and missed its last nine threes, while Purdue made 11 of its 24 shots from beyond the arc.

Purdue will play No. 3 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 on Friday, March 23 in Boston.