Purdue’s last‑second shocker
Purdue beat Texas 79–77 when Trey Kaufman‑Renn hit the go‑ahead shot with 0.7 seconds left, a classic Sweet 16 finish that vaults Purdue into the Elite Eight. Fletcher Loyer scored 18 points with four threes and Braden Smith nailed a clutch shot with six seconds remaining in a tightening finale. (youtube.com) (nytimes.com)
Purdue improved to 30–8 and will meet No. 1 Arizona in the West regional final at San Jose’s SAP Center on Saturday, March 28 with tipoff listed for 8:49 p.m. ET. (espn.com) Trey Kaufman‑Renn finished with 20 points and eight rebounds and began the game 7‑for‑7 from the floor, lifting his postseason scoring average to about 21.3 points per game. (espn.com) Texas senior Tramon Mark scored 29 while visibly playing through an ankle issue late in the game, and the Longhorns close their season at 21–15. (espn.com) Purdue arrives off winning the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago and had strung together a six‑game winning streak heading into Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup. (bigten.org) Guard Braden Smith set the NCAA Division I career‑assist record earlier in the tournament, reaching 1,077 career assists in Purdue’s first‑round win over Queens. (espn.com) Arizona punched its ticket to the Elite Eight by routing Arkansas 109–88 in San Jose and enters the regional final with a 35–2 record. (espn.com)
