Texas loses heartbreaker on last-second tip in for 79-77 loss to Purdue

Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) tips in the game-winning shot over Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Without graduate forward Lassina Traore and with senior guard Jordan Pope and graduate guard Tramon Mark both hobbled by ankle injuries, the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns came up just short in the Sweet 16 in a heartbreaking 79-77 loss to the No.

2 seed Purdue Boilermakers when Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn solidified a remarkable performance with a last-second tip in for the win after bodying Texas junior wing Dailyn Swain under the basket when the shot went up. BOILERS ADVANCE TO THE ELITE 8 🚂 TREY KAUFMAN-RENN GAME-WINNER 😱 #MarchMadness pic. twitter.

com/EDqpfFF9tx — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026 Kaufman-Renn scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting to pace Purdue in addition to winning multiple physical battles in the post that resulted in key fouls called on Texas sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis, who was not on the court for the final possession with four fouls, and junior forward Cam Heide, the Purdue transfer who fouled out in 24 minutes having only made one three-point shot. The last-second heroics by Kaufman-Renn negated gutsy performances by Mark and Pope. Mark scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-7 from distance, despite hobbling through the second half after an ankle injury.

For Pope, the ankle injury sustained against Gonzaga last week didn’t keep him from playing as the Bay Area product scored 12 points on four made threes in 33 minutes. Ultimately, Purdue notched a 38-30 edge in points in the paint and took advantage of seven Texas turnovers to score 14 points, a plus-eight margin over the Longhorns, who also went 8-of-15 shooting from the free-throw line. Initially ruled a game-time decision, Pope received the start even though he wasn’t included in the starting lineup for the Longhorns, proving himself able to withstand the first nine minutes of the game In an unusual start to the game, Texas and Purdue played through the under-16 timeout and didn’t get the first media stoppage of play until Vokietaitis drew a shooting foul at the 10-48 mark with the Horns leading 20-18.