Arizona erupts after halftime, knocks off Purdue to return to Final Four

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Arizona erupts after halftime, knocks off Purdue to return to Final Four

(Photo credit: Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Koa Peat scored 20 points and fellow freshman Ivan Kharchenkov added 18 as top-seeded Arizona beat No. 2 Purdue 79-64 in the West Region finals on Saturday night, earning their first trip to the Final Four since 2001.

The Wildcats (36-2) won their 13th straight game by erasing a seven-point halftime deficit and ending a five-game skid in Elite Eight games. They had lost in the regional finals in 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Peat was 9 of 18 from the field, breaking Mike Bibby's school record for most points in the Elite Eight by an Arizona freshman. Kharchenkov was 7 of 11 from the field and added eight rebounds, while Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries each scored 14.

Purdue (30-9) got 14 points and 10 rebounds from Oscar Cluff and 13 points and seven assists from Braden Smith, who scored 11 in the first half but was just 4 of 15 from the field for the game. The Boilermakers made 7 of 14 3-pointers in the first half but were just 1 of 8 after halftime.

The Boilermakers led 38-31 at halftime, outscoring Arizona 26-12 after being down seven early. The Wildcats scored seven straight to tie at 42, then took a 44-43 lead on two Jaden Bradley free throws with 14:34 remaining.

The Boilermakers went more than four and a half minutes without a field goal and Arizona extended to a 51-45 edge on an Anthony Dell'Orso 3-pointer with 12:09 to go. The Wildcats got the margin to 10 with 8:46 remaining, and Peat's dunk made it 68-55 with 5:35 to go.

Purdue took a 10-9 lead with 15:44 left in the first half on a Smith 3, significant because it was the first time in the tournament that Arizona trailed. The Wildcats responded with a 10-2 run to build a 19-12 lead, and during that run, Trey Kaufman-Renn picked up his second foul.

A 3 by Gicarri Harris gave the Boilermakers back the lead, and later back-to-back 3s by Smith and CJ Cox put them up 33-27 with 2:33 left before halftime.

--Brian J. Pedersen, Field Level Media

Arizona erupts after halftime, knocks off Purdue to return to Final Four

Arizona erupts after halftime, knocks off Purdue to return to Final Four

Field Level Media

29th March 2026, 14:40 GMT+11

(Photo credit: Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Koa Peat scored 20 points and fellow freshman Ivan Kharchenkov added 18 as top-seeded Arizona beat No. 2 Purdue 79-64 in the West Region finals on Saturday night, earning their first trip to the Final Four since 2001.

The Wildcats (36-2) won their 13th straight game by erasing a seven-point halftime deficit and ending a five-game skid in Elite Eight games. They had lost in the regional finals in 2003, 2005, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Peat was 9 of 18 from the field, breaking Mike Bibby's school record for most points in the Elite Eight by an Arizona freshman. Kharchenkov was 7 of 11 from the field and added eight rebounds, while Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries each scored 14.

Purdue (30-9) got 14 points and 10 rebounds from Oscar Cluff and 13 points and seven assists from Braden Smith, who scored 11 in the first half but was just 4 of 15 from the field for the game. The Boilermakers made 7 of 14 3-pointers in the first half but were just 1 of 8 after halftime.

The Boilermakers led 38-31 at halftime, outscoring Arizona 26-12 after being down seven early. The Wildcats scored seven straight to tie at 42, then took a 44-43 lead on two Jaden Bradley free throws with 14:34 remaining.

The Boilermakers went more than four and a half minutes without a field goal and Arizona extended to a 51-45 edge on an Anthony Dell'Orso 3-pointer with 12:09 to go. The Wildcats got the margin to 10 with 8:46 remaining, and Peat's dunk made it 68-55 with 5:35 to go.

Purdue took a 10-9 lead with 15:44 left in the first half on a Smith 3, significant because it was the first time in the tournament that Arizona trailed. The Wildcats responded with a 10-2 run to build a 19-12 lead, and during that run, Trey Kaufman-Renn picked up his second foul.

A 3 by Gicarri Harris gave the Boilermakers back the lead, and later back-to-back 3s by Smith and CJ Cox put them up 33-27 with 2:33 left before halftime.

--Brian J. Pedersen, Field Level Media

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