With less than 12 seconds left in a Sweet 16 matchup in the West Region between No. 2-seeded Purdue and No. 11-seeded Texas, it took a tip-in by the Boilermakers’ Trey Kaufman-Renn to give Purdue a 79-77 win on Thursday night at SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, Calif.
When Kaufman-Renn tipped in a rebound, it left just 0.7 seconds left on the clock. A late heave from three-quarters wasn’t close for Texas, setting off a celebration along the Boilermakers’ sidelines.
Purdue’s Last-Second Bucket Draws Attention from the NCAA World
Hoop Central’s account on X shared a clip of the Sweet 16 matchup’s final seconds. It was also written on X, “PURDUE WINS IT AT THE BUZZER. … WHAT A FINISH.”
PURDUE WINS IT AT THE BUZZER. 🔥🔥🔥
WHAT A FINISH.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 27, 2026
Basketball analyst Jeff Goodman, who is a co-founder of the Field of 68, was beside himself after Kaufman-Renn delivered the game-winning bucket.
Goodman posted on X, “Purdue survives on a TKR follow!!! Boilermakers advance to the Elite 8 after it looked like they were on the ropes late in the game.”
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ESPN College Basketball Insider Jeff Borzello had a short, to-the-point post on X about what he saw happen for Purdue: “TREY KAUFMAN-RENN!”
TREY KAUFMAN-RENN!
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 27, 2026
College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports pretty much summed up what happened for the Boilermakers late in the game.
Rothstein posted on X, “Purdue’s senior troika of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn will live for another day. TKR’s game-winning tip sends the Boilers to the Elite 8. A heartbreaking loss for Texas.”
Purdue’s senior troika of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn will live for another day.
TKR’s game-winning tip sends the Boilers to the Elite 8.
A heartbreaking loss for Texas. https://t.co/qdquLq5yLu
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 27, 2026
Rothstein also had a quick comment about Purdue head coach Matt Painter, who put his team into the Elite 8. Rothstein posted this about the Boilermakers’ coach on X: “Death. Taxes. Matt Painter.”
Death. Taxes. Matt Painter.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 27, 2026
Kaufman-Renn scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Purdue. As for the Longhorns, it was a tough loss, but Texas head coach Sean Miller led the No. 11-seeded team into the Sweet 16 in his first year there.
Tramon Mark, who might have played his last game in college, led the Longhorns with 29 points.
Purdue will now sit back and see who it will face in the Elite 8. In the other Sweet 16 West Region matchup on Thursday night, No. 1-seeded Arizona was duking it out against No. 4-seeded Arkansas in San Jose, Calif.
