Arizona Wildcats End 25-Year Drought, Beat Purdue 79-64 to Reach Final Four
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Arizona Wildcats End 25-Year Drought, Beat Purdue 79-64 to Reach Final Four

29 March, 2026.Sports.23 sources

Arizona defeats Purdue 79-64 to reach its first Final Four since 2001. Koa Peat scores 20 points to power Arizona's Elite Eight win.

23 outlets4 divides1 fact unevenly covered

Beat 1 · The verdict

NCAA Elite Eight West Region Final: Arizona vs Purdue (second-half turnover stat discrepancy)

Beat 2 · The divide, quote v quote

“The Wildcats also did not commit a turnover in the second half.”

Arizona SportsArizona Sports

“"Zero turnovers in the second half? I can’t conceive of such a thing!" Kerr texted.”

San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle

Read them yourself

Do not take our word for it. Here is what they published.

CBS SportsALLSPORTSTUCSONArizona Daily StarBleacher ReportESPNArizona Desert Swarm
All 23 outlets

Full story

Historic Win

They defeated Purdue 79-64 in the West Regional championship.

Image from ALLSPORTSTUCSON
ALLSPORTSTUCSONALLSPORTSTUCSON

Arizona set a school record with 36 wins.

SourcesESPNESPNSan Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleNBC NewsNBC News

Second Half Surge

Arizona overcame its first halftime deficit of the tournament.

They outscored Purdue 48-26 in the second half.

Image from Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily StarArizona Daily Star
SourcesUSA TodayUSA TodayIndyStarIndyStarBleacher ReportBleacher Report

Key Contributions

He was named West Regional Most Outstanding Player.

Kharchenkov added 18 points and eight boards.

SourcesArizona Daily StarArizona Daily StarBleacher ReportBleacher ReportArizona SportsArizona Sports

Legacy and Expectations

Coach Lloyd paid tribute to Lute Olson.

The win snapped five straight Elite Eight losses.

Image from Arizona Desert Swarm
Arizona Desert SwarmArizona Desert Swarm
SourcesESPNESPNArizona Daily StarArizona Daily StarSan Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle