How Arizona used second-half rally to power past Purdue and into 2026 Final Four

How Arizona used second-half rally to power past Purdue and into 2026 Final Four originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . SAN JOSE, Calif.

- Arizona looked dead in the water at halftime of its Elite 8 clash with Purdue. That is not a sentence Arizona fans have often uttered this season, in what has been one of the best campaigns in school history. But suddenly, in a matchup of two of college basketball’s most physical teams, it seemed as if only one really wanted it — and it wasn’t Tommy Lloyd’s top-seeded juggernaut.

Purdue hit seven 3-pointers in the first half and outrebounded Arizona by five. The Boilermakers also out-hustled the Wildcats. Koa Peat grabbed a rebound and dished to Brayden Burries for a 3, giving Arizona its first lead since midway through the first half.

Arizona beat Purdue 79-64 to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. And unlike the last time the Wildcats built a 15-point second-half lead in an Elite Eight game in 2005 against Illinois, they never relinquished it. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more The Wildcats played like a team that, simply put, knew it could flip the switch.