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Purdue tops Texas on last-second tip-in to advance to Elite 8
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Purdue is going back to the Elite 8. No. 11 seed Texas gave the No. 2 seed Boilermakers all they could handle, but, thanks to a March Madness moment that will be celebrated for years to come, Matt Painter’s team is moving on.
Thanks to an and-1 foul, Texas had tied things up 77-77 with seconds to go. Purdue turned to Braden Smith on its final possession, but his attempt was no good. Luckily for the Boilermakers, Trey Kaufman-Renn was right at the basket for the tip-in that made it 79-77, the game’s final score.
The tip left just 0.7 seconds on the clock. A long heave was unsuccessful for the Longhorns.
TREY KAUFMAN-RENN GAME-WINNER
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026
PURDUE ADVANCES TO THE ELITE 8 pic.twitter.com/CYj7ltsGXT
The game saw 16 lead changes and 10 ties. Texas posted a slightly higher shooting percentage (52% to 48%), but managed 6 fewer field-goal attempts (62-56) and made 1 fewer field goal (30-29).
The Longhorns were helped by the 3-ball. Texas shot 44% from 3-point range, making 11-of-25. Purdue, meanwhile, was just 4-of-20 from 3-point range. The Boilkermakers outscored the Longhorns 38-30 in the paint.
Texas was also haunted by a poor night at the line. The Longhorns were just 8-of-15 on free-throw attempts for the game. Purdue went to the line more, and shot better, making 15-of-20 for the game.
Tramon Mark was sensational for the Longhorns. He was the game’s high-scorer with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
Kaufman-Renn, the Purdue hero, was also the Boilermakers’ high scorer with 20 points in the game.
Can Purdue march on to the Final Four? Kalshi is taking action on predictions!
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.