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The No. 11 Texas Longhorns’ Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament came to a heartbreaking end Thursday night when Trey Kaufman-Renn’s layup with 0.7 seconds left on the clock gave No. 2 Purdue a 79-77 lead to advance to the Elite Eight.
It was a thriller to the finish in this Sweet 16 matchup between a team that had to play in the First Four to kick off the tournament and one of the higher seeds in March Madness.
The Longhorns’ Dailyn Swain made a clutch and-one layup with 11 seconds left, giving him the opportunity to tie the game at 77 apiece if he made his free throw. He fumbled with the pressure on, but the Boilermakers had 11 seconds to get on the court and potentially win the game.
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Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the first half of the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
It was Braden Smith who found his way to the court and made his own layup. However, the ball did not have the correct English off the glass as it began to roll off the rim.
But Kaufman-Renn, lining up under the basket, tipped home the game-winning bucket and gave herself 20 total points to help Purdue advance and keep their tournament dreams alive.
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There was some discussion on social media, however, when an overhead shot by Kaufman-Renn’s spike showed a potential foul as he hooked the arm of the Longhorns player pushing for the rebound.
Either way, the whistle didn’t blow and the Boilermakers celebrated while the Longhorns couldn’t believe their season ended that way.
Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns in the second half during the second half of the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
This was a back and forth battle throughout the 40 minutes on the pitch as both teams traded leads, especially in the second half. The biggest lead any team had was Purdue by just seven points, while Texas’ lead never got higher than four.
But that’s because both teams shot well, with Texas making 52% of its shots (29-of-56) while Purdue poured in 48% (30-of-62).
Looking more into the box score, every Boilermakers starter had at least 10 points, while Fletcher Loyer (18) and Braden Smith (16) did crucial work in the backcourt to help the winning cause.
Meanwhile, Texas’ Tramon Mark left it all out on the court, shooting 11-of-15 for 29 points, including 5-of-7 made from beyond the arc. Swain also just missed a double-double with nine rebounds while dishing out five assists.
Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates with teammates after making the game-winning shot against the Texas Longhorns in the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center on March 26, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Purdue now awaits the winner of Arkansas and Arizona to see who they will play for a spot in this year’s Final Four, which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
