So they did. Arizona outrebounded Purdue 22-16 in the second half, and held them to 32.1% shooting, defending the screens and other moves the Boilermakers used in the first half to set up their 3-point shots.
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) finishes off an emphatic jam past Purdue center Oscar Cluff (45) in the second half of their Elite Eight game, San Jose, Calif., March 27, 2026.
Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
Trailing by seven at halftime, the Wildcats went on a 16-3 run that turned into 24-7 to take a double-digit lead, 59-49, when Peat scored near the basket with just under nine minutes left, and wound up maintaining a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Arizona first pushed ahead with its 16-3 run, tying the game at 42 and then taking a 51-45 lead after Bradley stole the ball underneath Purdue’s basket, drove nearly coast-to-coast and then dished to Dell’Orso, who fired in a 3-pointer from the right wing.
As it turned out, the Boilermakers instead found their most production inside, where former Cochise College center Oscar Cluff had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and blocked two shots.
Even though Cluff had five offensive rebounds and Purdue had 14 overall, they actually scored fewer second chance points (13) than Arizona did, with 17 points off 10 offensive rebounds.
“They rebound at a high, high level,” said Purdue guard Braden Smith, who hit 3 of 6 3s in the first half but none in the second. “I think that’s kind of where they got us.
“Credit to Arizona. They’re an unbelievable team. Obviously we wanted to compete with them and make a little bit closer there at the end, but no, hats off to them.”
After taking a 38-31 halftime lead, Purdue regained a seven-point lead, 42-35 when Cluff scored inside but the Wildcats rattled off seven straight points from there to tie the game at 42 after a 3-pointer from Brayden Burries and a driving layup from Bradley.