Purdue beats Siena, 72 to 64

SPOKANE, Wash. (WLFI) - After a start that may have had some Boilermaker fans worried, 4th-ranked Purdue turned in a victory over 13th-ranked Siena, winning 72 to 64.

The lower-ranked Siena Saints had a slight lead at the end of the first half, with 32 points to Purdue's 29.

Purdue quickly took a strong the lead in the second half, leading 58 to 45 with nine-and-a-half minutes left in the game and holding that lead for most of the half.

Siena rallied, however, pulling within three points of Purdue in the final minutes. The score with one minute left was Purdue 66 and Siena 63, making for a finish that left fans on the edge of their seats.

Many filling out brackets had picked this game as an upset, counting on the injuries to the Purdue team to give Siena an edge. Though the game was closer than many games between teams with such different seeds, any edge Siena had wasn't enough to grant them the victory.

JaJuan Johnson had an excellent game, leading the Boilermakers by scoring 23 points.

The Boilermakers will play the victors of the game between Texas A & M and Utah State in the next round.

Check out our dedicated NCAA Tournament page for more on all the games.