Lead: On March 26, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a Braden Smith miss with 0.7 seconds left to give No. 2 Purdue a 79-77 win over 11th-seeded Texas in the Sweet 16. Texas had tied the game with 11.9 seconds remaining on Dailyn Swain’s three-point play, and Braden Smith had earlier put Texas within striking distance with a score at the 38-second mark. Kaufman-Renn finished with 20 points and a hot shooting night; Tramon Mark scored a game-high 29 for the Longhorns while clearly limited by an ankle issue.
Key Takeaways
- Purdue defeated Texas 79-77 on March 26, 2026, in the Sweet 16 at SAP Center in San Jose, advancing to the Elite Eight (Purdue 30-8).
- Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 20 points, hitting his first seven attempts and finishing the first half 6-for-6 with five rebounds before ending the night at 20.
- Braden Smith had 16 points and five assists and drove for what appeared to be a winning basket with 38 seconds left before his miss was tipped home at 0.7 seconds.
- Tramon Mark, playing through an injured right ankle, scored 29 points — the most by a Texas player in an NCAA Tournament game since Kevin Durant’s 30 in 2007.
- Texas (21-15) tied the game with 11.9 seconds left after Dailyn Swain completed a three-point play; Matas Vokietaitis was subbed out with 11 seconds remaining, changing paint matchups for Purdue.
- Per ESPN Research, this was Texas’ fourth loss on a winning field goal in the final two seconds of an NCAA tournament game, the most such losses by any program in tournament history.
- Purdue will face the winner of Arizona (34-2) vs. Arkansas (28-8) in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
Background
The Sweet 16 matchup paired long-standing Big Ten contender Purdue against a resilient Texas team seeded 11th after a turbulent season. Purdue entered the tournament 30-8 and has relied on interior size and efficiency in close games. Texas, at 21-15, had recovered from a midseason slump to win three straight entering San Jose; the program expects postseason runs under coach Sean Miller, who made his ninth Sweet 16 in 21 seasons.
Tramon Mark’s role loomed large for Texas: the sixth-year senior is the Longhorns’ primary scorer and playmaker, but he sustained an ankle problem late in the first half of the game and visibly favored the leg through the finish. Purdue’s rotation features forwards who can capitalize on seconds-long scrambles in the paint, a tactical edge that became decisive when Matas Vokietaitis left the floor in the game’s final seconds. Historically, Texas has suffered close tournament defeats before, but the frequency of last-second field-goal losses is now an unprecedented pattern in NCAA tournament play, according to available research.
Main Event
The game stayed tight through most of the 40 minutes, with both teams trading baskets and defensive stands. Kaufman-Renn opened aggressively, making his first six attempts in the first half and collecting five rebounds before halftime, setting a tone for Purdue’s inside game. Texas countered through Mark, who repeatedly attacked the rim and drilled timely jumpers despite his limited mobility late after the ankle incident.
Late in the second half, Chendall Weaver’s offensive rebound score at 1:03 trimmed Purdue’s lead to 73-72. Vokietaitis hit two free throws with 20 seconds left to push the margin; Purdue’s C.J. Cox split a pair with 19.4 seconds remaining. Braden Smith then drove for a finish with 38 seconds to go that, at first, looked like the clincher for the Longhorns.
With 11.9 seconds left, Dailyn Swain attacked, converted a layup while being fouled and completed the three-point play to tie the game. Texas then substituted Vokietaitis out with 11 seconds remaining, which altered the matchup in the paint. After Smith’s miss, Kaufman-Renn positioned himself under the front of the rim and tipped the ball back as the horn neared, giving Purdue the winning two-point margin with 0.7 seconds on the clock. Teammates mobbed Kaufman-Renn immediately after the buzzer.
Analysis & Implications
Strategically, Purdue’s ability to secure the offensive rebound space in the closing seconds was decisive. The late substitution of a 7-foot center changed the contested area beneath the rim; Purdue’s tip-in reflects the program’s emphasis on anticipating second-chance opportunities and winning the margins in the paint. For tournament coaching staffs, the sequence underlines the importance of personnel matchups in crisis moments and the risks of late-game rotation changes.
For Texas, the loss exposes both resilience and fragility. The Longhorns fought back from deficits and executed under pressure to force the tie with under 12 seconds remaining, but repeated tournament defeats on last-second field goals point to a recurring gap in endgame execution or fortune. Tramon Mark’s 29 points demonstrate his offensive value, but his limited mobility down the stretch raises questions about depth and contingency planning when a primary scorer is hampered by injury.
At the program level, Purdue’s advance to the Elite Eight consolidates a season of strong interior play and veteran poise. The win adds momentum for matchups against Arizona or Arkansas, teams that have excelled in different stylistic ways — Arizona with high-level two-way talent and Arkansas with physical frontcourt play. Purdue’s interior anticipation and late-game craft will be tested against either opponent’s length and versatility.
Comparison & Data
| Team | Record (2025-26) | Key Scorer (points) |
|---|---|---|
| Purdue | 30-8 | Trey Kaufman-Renn (20) |
| Texas | 21-15 | Tramon Mark (29) |
| Arizona | 34-2 | — (awaiting) |
| Arkansas | 28-8 | — (awaiting) |
The table summarizes season records and top scorers from the Sweet 16 matchup and the pending Elite Eight opponent pair. Purdue’s 30-win season is a marker of consistency; Texas’ 21 wins came despite midseason instability. The game also extends Texas’s unusual NCAA trend: this was the program’s fourth loss on a winning field goal in the final two seconds, an outlier compared with peer programs.
Reactions & Quotes
“I was standing under the rim, I said ‘Please go in there, please go in there,'”
Braden Smith, Purdue guard
Smith’s short reflection captured the immediate relief and drama after Kaufman-Renn’s tip. His five assists and late drive framed him as a key contributor throughout the night.
“This marks the program’s fourth loss on a last-second winning field goal in NCAA tournament history, the most of any team,”
ESPN Research
That research note contextualizes how extraordinary and painful the result feels for Texas’ program history, a statistical framing rather than a judgment on the players’ performance.
Unconfirmed
- Long-term severity of Tramon Mark’s right ankle injury is not yet confirmed; postgame medical updates were not publicly released at the time of reporting.
- The coaching rationale for substituting Matas Vokietaitis with 11 seconds left — tactical matchup versus injury precaution — has not been detailed by Texas staff in an official statement.
Bottom Line
Purdue’s 79-77 victory over Texas in the Sweet 16 hinged on situational awareness and interior positioning, with Trey Kaufman-Renn’s tip-in the decisive play. The result advances Purdue to the Elite Eight and underscores how single possessions can define tournament runs.
For Texas, the game exposes both the program’s ability to rally and a troubling pattern of last-second tournament reversals, amplified by Tramon Mark’s standout scoring while playing through pain. The Longhorns face questions about rotation depth and late-game strategy going forward.