Who is Sean Moore? Fairleigh Dickinson G becomes March Madness legend with huge 3, block vs. Purdue

Kevin Skiver

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Who is Sean Moore? Fairleigh Dickinson G becomes March Madness legend with huge 3, block vs. Purdue image

Every upset needs a face.

Fairleigh Dickinson's 16 vs. 1 victory over Purdue in the NCAA Tournament was a team effort, with stifling defense being the hallmark of the Knights' 63-58 victory. But it was Sean Moore who made two massive plays down the stretch to cement the win.

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First, he hit a 3-pointer with just over a minute left to give the Knights a five-point lead and put Purdue squarely in desperation mode.

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Then, he made a critical blocked shot with 13 seconds left that kept Purdue from attempting to cut the lead to one.

Moore finished with a team-high 19 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes.

"I didn't really think we was going to be here," Moore said after the game. "People didn't think we belonged here. We're just showing people that we can do it."

Here's what to know about Moore as FDU prepares for the second round.

Who is Sean Moore from?

Moore helped FDU to a win an NCAA Tournament game in his hometown, Columbus, Ohio.

Moore is a 6-4, 175-pound guard who was by no means a standout player this season for the Knights. But he came up big when he needed to.

Sean Moore stats

Moore's 2022-23 stats don't jump off the page. His previous season high was 18 against St. Francis (N.Y.), but he topped that Friday on the biggest stage in college basketball with his 19 against Purdue, including the biggest 3 of the game.

GP MPG FG% 3-pt% FT% RPG APG BPG SPG TO PPG
34 22.1 47.2 29.0 73.0 4.4 1.0 0.4 1.3 1.1 6.7

The numbers didn't matter Friday when Moore came up big when it mattered most.

Where did Sean Moore transfer from?

This is Moore's first year at FDU. He began his career at St. Thomas Aquinas, where he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons.

FDU's win was catalyzed by far more players than Moore, but he made the two plays that will be shown in March highlight packages for years to come. So while all of FDU should enjoy this improbable win, it no doubt hits differently for Moore playing in his hometown Nationwide Arena.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.