16Baylor 79 - 90 2Purdue
Final
  for this game

Purdue to rely on youth against Baylor

Mar 20, 2008 - 11:57 AM No. 11 Baylor (21-10) vs. No. 6 Purdue (24-8) 2:50 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Sixth-seeded Purdue looks for its second straight NCAA Tournament first-round victory when it takes on 11th-seeded Baylor in the West Regional on Thursday.

The Boilermakers (24-8), who do not have a senior in their starting lineup, beat eighth-seeded Arizona in their first game before losing to eventual champion Florida, 74-67, in the second round.

Purdue had an impressive conference season, going 15-3 with two wins coming against Big Ten champion Wisconsin. The Boilermakers did lose two of their last three games, including a 74-67 overtime defeat to Illinois in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Freshmen E'Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel lead the team in scoring at 12.7 and 11.6 points per game, respectively, but Purdue is more known for its defense, giving up just 61.2 points per contest.

The Bears (21-10) started the season 16-2 before losing six of their next seven games, just barely making the cut as one of the last at-large teams in the tournament.

Baylor, which averages over 81 points per contest, is in the NCAAs for the first time since 1988, after posting just its fourth 20-win season in school history.

Guard Curtis Jerrells leads four players in double figures for the Bears at 14.9 points per game.

The winner will move on to face either Xavier or Georgia in the second round on Saturday.






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