WATCH: Purdue outlasts Texas in thrilling Sweet 16 showdown

Trey Kaufman-Renn and the Purdue Boilermakers came up big in the clutch on Thursday to take down the Texas Longhorns 79-77 and advance to the Elite 8.

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Thursday night’s Sweet 16 matchup was a thriller from the beginning. Neither team built a double-digit lead at any point and they battled through 22 total lead changes.

After a grueling final five minutes, Kaufman-Renn tipped in a missed layup to break a tie and give Purdue a two-point advantage.

He finished the game with 20 points and eight rebounds while shooting 8-of-10 from the floor.

For the longhorns, Tramon Mark did all he could with 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor.

The Boilermakers are now headed to their third Elite 8 appearance since 2019 and will face the winner of Thursday’s matchupbetween the Arizona Wildcats and the Arkansas Razorbacks.

James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker

About the Author Published Mar 26, 2026

JAMES PARKER

James Parker is a sports reporter and writer for Ball Exclusives. With a bachelor's degree earned at the age of 19, he’s spent years working as a sports journalist, including an award-winning stint at The Appalachian. He has never used AI for his work in any way, shape or form.