Purdue in National Championship game … and in the streets

And the lobbying for a two-hour delay Tuesday at Greater Lafayette schools starts …

Purdue fans, who watched several fan bases rush the court after beating the Boilers this season, finally got to rush something Saturday night. This time, it was State Street in the West Lafayette Village, moments after Purdue polished off North Carolina State, 63-50, in the first semifinal game Saturday in Phoenix. Reporters at the Purdue Exponent were on the scene through the night.

West Lafayette police, who let the party roll, reopened State Street a bit before 1 a.m. Sunday.

Before that happened, Purdue’s starting five got treatment in the cold opening for Saturday Night Live.

SOME OTHER READS/VIEWS FROM PHOENIX

• J&C reporter Sam King (seen earlier in the day in his Indiana State/Larry Bird shirt) broke down the game: “It looked more like the throwback Purdue basketball teams that tried to beat you down with defense and score just enough to win.” His story: “An ode to Gene Keady, Purdue basketball wins a low-scoring slugfest in Final Four.”

• Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel talked about what Purdue’s point guard called the “worst game of my life.” As Doyel wrote after the game, “Those are his words, by the way.” You know where this story is going, though: “For Braden Smith, his game was ugly. What happened in Purdue locker room was beautiful.”

• Another take, this one from CJ Moore of The Athletic: “Purdue stymies NC State’s Cinderella run, marches into first championship game since 1969.”

• Gold and Black had a roundup of postgame interviews with coach Matt Painter and Purdue players here: “Video: Purdue beats NC State to reach title game.”

• The great Candace Buckner, columnist for The Washington Post, consolidates a season of redemption for Purdue into this piece from Saturday night’s semifinals: “This Purdue-Connecticut final has the makings of a heavyweight rumble.”

• Heading into Monday night, this was the line on the matchup between No. 1 seeds, after Connecticut beat Alabama in its attempt to repeat at national champions: “UConn favored against Purdue in men’s NCAA Tournament championship game Monday.”

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