27
Mar
March Madness
Oscar Cluff pushes Purdue into Dell’Orso matchup
Australian Oscar Cluff #45 of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the ball against the Texas Longhorns during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 27, 2026 (AEDT) in San Jose, California. Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Highlights
Cluff and Dell’Orso set Elite 8 clash as Purdue and Arizona advance in March Madness
- Madness! Australian centre Alex Condon punched in wild tie-up as Florida Gators fall by one point
- Full coverage of NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball
- Aussies Oscar Cluff, Amelia Hassett and Anthony Dell’Orso shape Sweet 16
Brutal. Oscar Cluff's Purdue Boilermakers and Anthony Dell'Orso's Arizona Wildcats are on an Elite 8 collision course after both advanced with wins in the Sweet 16 of March Madness in the US today (Friday, March 27, 2026).
No1 ranked Arizona and No2 ranked Purdue go head to head on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 11.49am (AEDT).
Purdue Boilermakers 79 def. Texas Longhorns 77 (Final)
SAP Center – San Jose, California
Halftime: Purdue 39–35
Purdue survived a final-possession thriller, with Trey Kaufman-Renn tipping in the game-winner with 0.7 seconds remaining to eliminate Texas and advance to the Elite Eight. The Boilermakers controlled key interior moments despite losing their starting centre late, finishing +1 on the glass and +7 at the free-throw line in a game defined by execution under pressure.
Texas stayed within a single possession for most of the second half and briefly tied the game at 77–77 with 11.9 seconds remaining after a three-point play from Swain.
Purdue’s final possession broke down into a Braden Smith drive, but Kaufman-Renn — positioned front rim — reacted quickest to the miss, tipping it in as time expired.
Cluff had already fouled out in the closing stretch, forcing Purdue to adjust its interior coverage and rebounding structure in the final defensive sequence.
Purdue (30–8) advances to the Elite Eight, where it will face either Arizona Wildcats or Arkansas Razorbacks.
For Cluff, the performance reinforces his role as a reliable interior presence in high-leverage minutes — efficient offensively, positionally sound defensively — even as foul trouble impacted Purdue’s late-game rotations.
🇦🇺 Oscar Cluff (Purdue) – foul-impacted interior minutes
The 2.11m Australian centre played 29 minutes before fouling out late, finishing with:
- 11 points │ 6 rebounds │ 2 assists │ 4-from-7 FG │ 3-of-4 FT │ 0 turnovers
Cluff provided efficient scoring on the interior and held his defensive position early, but his fifth foul forced Purdue into a smaller closing lineup — setting up Kaufman-Renn’s decisive tip-in sequence.
Top Performers
- Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue) – 20 points, 8 rebounds, game-winning tip-in
- Braden Smith (Purdue) – 16 points, 5 assists
- Fletcher Loyer (Purdue) – 18 points, 4 threes
- Tramon Mark (Texas) – 29 points, 11-from-15 FG
- Dailyn Swain (Texas) – 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists
By the Numbers
Purdue - FG: 48% │ 3PT: 20% │ FT: 75% │ Rebounds: 32 │ Assists: 12
Texas - FG: 52% │ 3PT: 44% │ FT: 53% │ Rebounds: 31 │ Assists: 10
Arizona Wildcats 109 def. Arkansas Razorbacks 88 (Final)
West Region – San Jose, California
Halftime: Arizona 54–43
Arizona blew the game open with elite offensive efficiency, shooting 64% from the field and 63% from three in a dominant Sweet 16 performance.
The Wildcats controlled tempo early, built a double-digit halftime lead, and never allowed Arkansas to close the gap, piling on 55 second-half points to secure a comfortable 21-point win.
Arizona established control through shot-making and ball movement, finishing with 19 assists and consistently generating high-percentage looks inside and out.
Arkansas stayed within range early behind Acuff Jr.’s scoring, but defensive breakdowns and Arizona’s efficiency — particularly in the paint and at the free-throw line (30-of-39) — created separation that held through the second half.
Dell’Orso’s minutes came during Arizona’s extended runs, where second-unit spacing and execution maintained momentum.
🇦🇺 Anthony Dell'Orso (Arizona) – efficient bench scoring
The 1.98m Australian wing logged 13 minutes in Arizona’s deep rotation, finishing with:
8 points │ 1 rebound │ 1 assist │ 2-from-3 FG │ 2-from-2 3PT │ 2-of-2 FT │ 1 turnover
Dell’Orso provided instant offence in a second-unit burst, spacing the floor and converting both perimeter looks as Arizona extended its lead.
Top Performers
- Brayden Burries (Arizona) – 23 points, 5 rebounds
- Koa Peat (Arizona) – 21 points on 8-from-11 FG
- Tobe Awaka (Arizona) – 14 points, 7 rebounds (bench)
- Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) – 28 points
- Meleek Thomas (Arkansas) – 17 points, 4 steals
By the Numbers
Arizona
FG: 64% │ 3PT: 63% │ FT: 77% │ Rebounds: 30 │ Assists: 19
Arkansas
FG: 48% │ 3PT: 22% │ FT: 81% │ Rebounds: 28 │ Assists: 13
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