Did Purdue Win? Boilermakers Secure Last-Second Elite Eight Victory, Advance to Final Four

Purdue fans searching “Did Purdue win?” after Saturday night’s Elite Eight clash got a disappointing answer: No. The No. 2-seed Boilermakers fell 79-64 to top-seeded Arizona at SAP Center in San Jose, ending their 2025-26 season one step short of the Final Four. Key points • Final score: Arizona 79, Purdue 64 • Tournament round: NCAA men’s basketball Elite Eight (West Region) • Purdue record finishes at 30-10; Arizona advances to its first Final Four since 2001 How the game unfolded Arizona seized control with an 18-4 run midway through the first half and never trailed again. Freshman forward Koa Peat powered the Wildcats with 20 points and eight rebounds, while 7-foot-2 center Motiejus Krivas dominated the paint with 12 boards. Purdue shot just 38 percent and went 8-for-22 from three, unable to match Arizona’s 47 percent clip and 20-for-22 mark at the free-throw line. Boilermaker bright spots • Sophomore center Oscar Cluff posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. • Point guard Braden Smith dished seven assists and hit three treys to keep Purdue within striking distance early in the second half. Why Purdue came up short 1. Cold outside shooting: Purdue missed 11 of its final 14 three-point attempts. 2. Points at the stripe: Arizona outscored Purdue 20-8 at the free-throw line. 3. Turnover gap: The Wildcats protected the ball (six turnovers) while Purdue coughed it up 11 times, leading to easy transition buckets. What’s next for Purdue Coach Matt Painter’s squad now turns to roster decisions. Juniors Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn must weigh NBA feedback, and the staff will explore the transfer portal to retool the frontcourt alongside rising star Cluff. Summer workouts begin in June, with a European exhibition tour on tap in August. Bottom line Answering the trending question “Did Purdue win?”: the Boilermakers’ postseason run ended with a 79-64 loss to Arizona, closing the book on a 30-win campaign and setting the stage for an intriguing 2026-27 reload.