March Madness 2026: The best and worst from Thursday’s Sweet 16
SB Nation • • sports
Key Points:
- Purdue narrowly defeated Texas 79-77 with a last-second tip-in by Trey Kaufman-Renn, advancing to the Elite Eight to face Arizona for a Final Four spot.
- Arizona dominated Arkansas 109-88, shooting 63.8% from the field, marking their first regional final appearance since 2015 and positioning them as a strong contender for the national title.
- Houston suffered a disappointing 65-55 loss to Illinois at home, struggling offensively and ending their hopes of returning to the Final Four after a strong previous season.
- The Big Ten had a strong showing with Purdue, Illinois, and Iowa winning on Thursday, potentially placing up to five teams in the regional finals and guaranteeing at least one Final Four participant.
- Notable individual performances included Texas’ Tramon Mark scoring 29 points, Iowa’s Tate Sage contributing 19 points off the bench, and Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn delivering the game-winning tip-in.
