Arizona nearly completely shut down Purdue point guard Braden Smith in the second half, a major reason for a 79-64 win that earned its first Final Four berth since 2001. Smith finished with 13 points on four out of 15 from the field, three of eight on three-point attempts, with seven assists.
Smith missed all four of his shots from the field and both of his three-point attempts with two points, two fouls, two turnovers and four assists in the second half. Arizona outscored Purdue 48-26 in the second half after trailing 38-31 at halftime.
Smith had to earn his 11 points in the first half by making four out of his 11 field goal attempts, but made three out of his six three-point attempts with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one turnover. The Arizona backcourt was exceptional defensively in the second half without committing any turnovers…