Cluff pushes Purdue into Dell’Orso matchup today

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• 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

UConn Huskies 67 def. Michigan State Spartans 63 (Final)‍

East Region

Halftime: UConn 35–27

UConn built an early eight-point halftime lead and maintained control through defensive pressure and efficient shot selection.

Michigan State closed the margin in the second half, but UConn’s composure in late possessions — combined with interior scoring and rebounding — secured the result.

Top Performers

• Alex Karaban (UConn) – 17 points, 7 rebounds
• Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn) – 20 points, 5 rebounds
• Solo Ball (UConn) – 12 points
• Carson Cooper (Michigan State) – 14 points, 7 rebounds
• Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State) – 13 points, 7 assists

🇦🇺 Jacob Furphy (UConn)‍

• DNP

Furphy remained out of the rotation in the Sweet 16, with UConn tightening its minutes across a shorter postseason lineup.

By the Numbers

UConn – FG: 46% │ 3PT: 43% │ FT: 63% │ Rebounds: 30 │ Assists: 20

Michigan State – FG: 40% │ 3PT: 25% │ FT: 72% │ Rebounds: 39 │ Assists: 13

What It Means

UConn (32–5) advances to the Elite Eight, continuing its tournament run behind balanced scoring and defensive control.

For Furphy, the result reflects a tightened rotation typical of March Madness, with opportunities dictated by matchup and postseason adjustments.

Elite Eight Schedule (AEDT)

Sunday, March 29

• Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini — 9:09AM
• Purdue Boilermakers vs Arizona Wildcats — 11.49AM

Monday, March 30

• Tennessee Volunteers vs Michigan Wolverines — 5:15AM
• UConn Huskies vs Duke Blue Devils — 8:05AM