Purdue beat Texas with late Kaufman-Renn tip-in to reach Elite Eight
Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a dramatic tip-in with 0.7 seconds remaining as second-seed Purdue secured a thrilling 79-77 victory over Texas in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Thursday night in San Jose.
The late basket ensured the Boilermakers advanced to the Elite Eight at the expense of an 11th-seeded Longhorns side who had fought back valiantly.
Dailyn Swain momentarily levelled the contest with just 11.9 seconds left on the clock, converting a driving layup and drawing a foul to complete a crucial three-point play.
However, a subsequent missed shot by Braden Smith afforded Kaufman-Renn the opportunity to grab the offensive rebound and secure the decisive points.
Historic heartbreak for Texas
The dramatic conclusion marked the fourth time the Texas collegiate programme has suffered an NCAA tournament defeat via a game-winning field goal in the final two seconds.
That unfortunate statistic represents the highest total of last-second tournament losses by any team in college basketball history.
Their elimination occurred despite a heroic 29-point performance from Tramon Mark, who battled through obvious pain due to a left foot injury during the critical closing minutes.
The sixth-year senior delivered the highest individual scoring output by a Texas player in the tournament since Kevin Durant registered 30 points in 2007.
Purdue look ahead to Elite Eight
Kaufman-Renn proved to be the standout performer for the victors, opening the game by hitting his first seven shots on his way to a 20-point finish.
Smith also played a pivotal role in the triumph, contributing a vital late drive and ending the evening with 16 points.
The San Jose crowd witnessed jubilant scenes at the SAP Center as the triumphant squad swarmed their match-winner at the final buzzer.
Purdue will now face either top-seeded Arizona or fourth seed Arkansas on Saturday for a coveted spot in the Final Four.