“It’s those tip-ins at the end of the games,” Kaufman-Renn recalled of the message. “He said that my four years here, so it’s kind of cool to experience that.”<\/p>\n
Yes, Kaufman-Renn’s quick hands at the rim extended a special NCAA tournament run for Purdue.<\/p>\n
Editor’s Picks Kaufman-Renn tipped in a miss by Braden Smith<\/a> with 0.7 seconds left, and the No. 2-seed Boilermakers edged hobbling Texas<\/a> star Tramon Mark<\/a> and the 11th-seeded Longhorns 79-77<\/a> on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.<\/p>\n “It’s not like it’s a shot to practice every single day,” Kaufman-Renn said. “I’m glad I went in.”<\/p>\n Texas (21-15) tied it moments earlier when Dailyn Swain<\/a> made a driving layup, was fouled and converted the three-point play with 11.9 seconds to go. Smith had scored on his own drive with 38 seconds remaining and finished with 16 points.<\/p>\n For the Longhorns, it was the program’s fourth loss on a winning field goal in the final two seconds, the most by any team in NCAA tournament history, according to ESPN Research.<\/p>\n Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points. He was mobbed by teammates right after the final buzzer sounded at SAP Center.<\/p>\n Texas had subbed 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis<\/a> out of the game with 11 seconds left after Boilermakers big man Oscar Cluff<\/a> had fouled out, giving Purdue a better opportunity in the paint. Kaufman-Renn got himself right under the front of the rim after Smith missed on his drive.<\/p>\n “The No. 1 thing for us to have a chance today was to rebound with Purdue,” Texas coach Sean Miller said. “I thought we really struggled to rebound on defense.”<\/p>\n Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured leg through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most. His points were the most by a Texas player in an NCAA tournament game since Kevin Durant scored 30 against USC<\/a> in the second round of the 2007 tournament.<\/p>\n Purdue (30-8) advances to Saturday’s Elite Eight game against either top-seeded Arizona (34-2) or No. 4 seed Arkansas (28-8), who were playing the late game in San Jose.<\/p>\n The teams traded baskets and chances most of the night.<\/p>\n Chendall Weaver<\/a> scored off his offensive rebound with 1:03 to play pulling Texas within 73-72 after Smith had made only one of two free throws.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/r1634386_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
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