East Bay native Jordan Pope put forth a warrior’s effort, but some late magic from Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn sent the Boilermakers into the Elite 8
Purdue Boilermakers’ Trey Kaufman-Renn takes a shot against Texas Longhorns’ Matas Vokietaitis in the first half at the 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Purdue will face the winner of the late game between Arizona and Arkansas in the Elite Eight on Saturday afternoon. “I’m just excited,” Kaufman-Renn said of his reaction to the play. “We won the game. I was kind of nervous. It’s like, ‘Man, I gotta be back on defense.’ I didn’t know how many seconds were left.” The Purdue Boilermakers celebrate their 79-77 win over the Texas Longhorns for their 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. After Texas guard Dailyn Swain’s driving and-one layup tied the game at 77 with 11.9 seconds to play, Smith dribbled the ball up the floor and bled the clock before making his move with seconds left. Smith’s shot bounced around the iron and fell out, but he left just enough time for Kaufman-Renn to save the day. “I was just trying to be aggressive and not get it blocked,” Smith said. “I felt like if I get that right seam, I feel like I’m getting past anybody, and I feel like I did that decent amount in this game. I work on that shot, and that’s a shot that I’ve shot in my four years here. So for me, it was just trying to get there, and obviously if it doesn’t go, I don’t want them to get an opportunity. but enough time for us to get a shot off, and if it does miss, we can get a tip-in.”The Purdue Boilermakers celebrate their 79-77 win over the Texas Longhorns for their 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. In a hotly contested game where no team led by more than seven points, Oakley native Jordan Pope, who played through a broken foot, had an opportunity to tie for Texas with 25 seconds remaining. His potential tying 3-pointer rimmed out, but Texas wasn’t done. The Longhorns got two free throws from Matas Vokietaitis on a pair of 1-and-1 free throws with 20 seconds left, then Purdue’s C.J. Cox stretched the lead with a pair of double-bonus free throws after Pope fouled him in the backcourt. Swain’s big play brought Texas back even, but Kaufman-Renn and Pope combined to author a classic March Madness moment down the stretch.Pac-12 basketball : Tallying NCAA Tournament units earned by the conference’s legacy schoolsNew Saint Mary’s coach explains how he’ll follow Randy Bennett in MoragaTexas Longhorns' Jordan Pope walks of the court following their 79-77 against the Purdue Boilermakers for their 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Tramon Mark had a career night for Texas, leading the Longhorns with 29 points. Swain added 15 and Pope chipped in with four 3-pointers while shooting 44% from deep. Pope said he broke his foot late in Texas’ game last Saturday against Gonzaga but managed to play after undergoing round-the-clock treatment. “I broke my foot, a complete break,” Pope said. “So it was definitely tough. I’m not sure a lot of guys would have gone out there and played. But credit to my training staff and our doctors. They did a lot of work the last four days, 24/7, giving me treatment. Just gave me a chance to really be questionable for the game. And so credit to those guys that got me ready. And thankfully, I was able to go out there and play. I felt good.” Texas Longhorns' Jordan Pope dribbles against Purdue Boilermakers' C.J. Cox in the second half at the 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Bay Area weather: Rain is forecast to break the long dry spell. Here's when to expect it.Dear Abby: I spurned my dear friend because my insurance company told me to. Was that wrong? Kurtenbach: MLB's SF Giants-Yankees Opening Night Netflix cash-grab proves nothing is sacred in modern sportsHarriette Cole: Did I fail a moral test when I saw this man's phone get stolen?Miss Manners: What can we do about this annoying woman?
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