On Saturday, March 28, Coach Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats defeated Coach Matt Painter’s Purdue Boilermakers 79-64 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 Big March Madness in neutral territory, the SAP Center at San Jose, California.
Arizona vs Purdue Box Score
Arizona
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| I. Kharchenkov | 18 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| K. Peat | 20 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| M. Krivas | 6 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| B. Burries | 14 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| J. Bradley | 14 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| D. Aristode | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T. Awaka | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| A. Dell’Orso | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Purdue
| Player | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF |
| T. Kaufman-Renn | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| O. Cluff | 14 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| C.J. Cox | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| B. Smith | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| F. Loyer | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| D. Jacobsen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| O. Mayer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| J. Benter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| G. Harris | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Arizona vs Purdue Game Summary
The Purdue Boilermakers played with a sense of urgency now that they have made it back to the NCAA Elite Eight, as star Braden Smith is playing his final year. Unfortunately for them, it was the Arizona Wildcats that drew first blood in the first period with a three-pointer. The first 10 minutes of the game saw both squads go back and forth. But it was Arizona that found the three-point lead, 19-16, at the 10-minute mark.
Nonetheless, it was a different story in the final 10 minutes of the first half, as coach Matt Painter‘s team’s hot three-point shooting and dominance of the offensive glass gave them control of the matchup. The Arizona-based program did all it could to snatch its momentum back. But Smith showed poise as a leader, as it translated throughout all of the Boilermakers. Purdue led at the half, 38-31.
With the Boilermakers showing out in the latter half of the first period, they looked like getting over the hump and returning to the college basketball mountaintop. But coach Tommy Lloyd‘s squad showcased why they were undefeated for a significant time throughout the campaign, as they went on a run to get the game back in their favor. By the 10-minute mark of the second period, they were up by six points, 55-49.
Losing the lead hurt Purdue, but they were not going down without a fight, as they have shown in recent years. The Boilermakers did all they could to get back in the game against Arizona, banking on the play of Smith and Kaufman-Renn. It was insufficient, though, as the Wildcats continued to pounce on them, even leading by double digits eventually. With this, Arizona won 79-64.
Also Read: Is Tommy Lloyd Leaving Arizona? Wildcats AD Addresses Future Amid Contract Talks
Read More: “We Gonna Spank Their F*cking A**”: Michigan Star Yaxel Lendeborg Sends Profanity Filled Warning to Matt Painter’s Purdue
Lauren Betts Enjoys Carefree Run in Bikini With UCLA Bruins Squad Ahead of Clash vs. Golden Gophers
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
