Dell'orso's three propels Wildcats into Final Four

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Australian guard Anthony Dell’Orso played just nine minutes, but his three capped a 16-3 run in the second half that turned a seven-point deficit into a six-point lead the Wildcats never relinquished.

Dell’Orso’s one-seed Arizona Wildcats are heading to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years — at the expense of Australian centre Oscar Cluff’s Purdue Boilermakers 79-64 in the Elite 8 West Region clash in San Jose, California, on Sunday, March 29, 2026 (AEDT).

Arizona flipped the game with a decisive second-half defensive surge, and the two Australians sat on opposite ends of that momentum swing.

"They really hurt us with that," Cluff said.

"It kind of stunned us, just how physical they were playing. They came out of halftime and rocked us a little bit. But we saw that and we fought to the end.

Elite 8: Purdue 64, Arizona 79 (Final)

‍Purdue controlled the first half, leading 38–31, but the 16–3 run early in the second half turned the game on its head, and from there the Wildcats dictated tempo, physicality and shot quality.

Purdue shot just 38% from the field and struggled to generate clean looks as Arizona’s pressure disrupted their primary creators.

🇦🇺 Oscar Cluff — Purdue

Cluff was one of Purdue’s most reliable pieces across both halves, even as the offence stalled around him.

• 14 points, 10 rebounds (5 offensive), 2 assists, 2 blocks
• 4-from-8 FG, 6-of-8 FT in 39 minutes

He provided interior presence and second-chance opportunities, particularly with his work on the offensive glass. In the first half, that helped Purdue build control. But as Arizona tightened defensively, touches became harder to come by. Cluff still impacted the game defensively (rim protection + rebounding), but the Boilermakers couldn’t consistently play through him late.

🇦🇺 Anthony Dell'Orso — Arizona

Dell’Orso’s stat line was modest, but his moment was pivotal.

• 3 points, 1-from-3 FG, 1-from-3 3PT in 9 minutes

His three-pointer during Arizona’s early second-half run was one of the key shots that flipped the game, pushing momentum fully toward the Wildcats and stretching Purdue’s defence. Beyond the make, his role was clean: space the floor, move the ball, don’t break structure.

The Difference

• Arizona won the possession game by a single rebound (37–36) and shot 91% from the line (20-of-22).
• Purdue’s core perimeter trio shot 12-for-38 combined, limiting their ability to respond once Arizona surged.
• The Wildcats’ defence turned a high-efficiency Purdue offence into a half-court grind, where Cluff’s interior work wasn’t enough to offset perimeter struggles.

Bottom Line

• Cluff held his own and produced, but Purdue lost control of the game around him.
• Dell’Orso hit one of the most important shots of the night — a momentum breaker inside Arizona’s defining run.

Arizona’s second-half identity — defence, rebounding, composure — ultimately decided the game and sent them to the Final Four.

The Wildcats will play the winner of tomorrow's Michigan vs Tennesssee clash next weekend.