Purdue and Virginia squared off in easily the best game of this NCAA tournament on Saturday with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
The game had everything. There was Purdue star Carsen Edwards going into supernova mode with 10 3s. There was a bonkers, hectic buzzer-beater to force overtime. And there was, of course, an epic display of sportsmanship.
After Virginia’s Mamadi Diakite knocked down the shot to force overtime at the buzzer, Edwards couldn’t help but smile. As the two opponents lined up to start overtime, they shared a laugh and Diakite could be seen saying, “I know.”
Moments like that are what make March Madness great. You can be in the middle of the biggest, most high-leverage game of your life and still find time to respect the opponent.
After the game, which Virginia won 80-75, the two players shared another show of respect.
Edwards scored 42 points on an NCAA tournament record 10 makes from 3-point range. Diakite had 14 points and four blocks.
