Arizona Breaks 25-Year Final Four Drought with Second-Half Rally Over Purdue
Arizona erased a seven-point halftime deficit and pulled away in the second half to defeat Purdue 79-64, earning a long-awaited Final Four berth for the first time since 2001. Freshman Koa Peat led the effort with 20 points as Arizona controlled the paint and sealed the win, setting up a possible showdown with Michigan or Tennessee in Indianapolis. Purdue’s trio of seniors—Loyer, Smith, and Kaufman-Renn—also wrote a memorable chapter, ending their era as they exit the tournament.