Indianapolis, IN – The Midwest Regional in Indianapolis delivered a thrilling showdown as the top-seeded Houston Cougars edged out the fourth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in a dramatic finish. With the victory, Houston moves on to face Tennessee in the Elite Eight, with a coveted Final Four spot on the line.
Purdue Holds Narrow Halftime Lead
From the outset, both teams showcased their defensive intensity, making every possession a battle. While shooting percentages remained low, key individual performances kept the game competitive.
Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer ignited the Boilermakers’ offense early, scoring 12 of their first 16 points while shooting 4-of-6 from the field. The rest of the team struggled to find their rhythm, starting just 2-of-10. Meanwhile, Houston’s Milos Uzan provided a spark for the Cougars, draining all three of his early three-point attempts to notch nine of the team’s first 17 points.
Both teams shot an identical 33.3% from three-point range in the first half, but Purdue maintained a slight edge overall, shooting 38.5% from the field compared to Houston’s 30.0%.
In a pivotal moment before halftime, Purdue’s Braden Smith was fouled with just 0.3 seconds left. He converted both free throws, sending the Boilermakers into the locker room with a narrow 31-29 advantage.
Houston Clinches Victory with Last-Second Heroics
The Cougars came out aggressive in the second half, hitting their first four shots to quickly take a five-point lead. Emanuel Sharp played a key role in Houston’s surge, making all three of his early attempts to give the Cougars momentum.
Purdue struggled to contest Houston’s perimeter shooting, allowing the Cougars to make 12 of their first 18 second-half attempts. Uzan remained red-hot, finishing the game with six three-pointers on nine attempts.
Houston built a 10-point lead with eight minutes left, but Purdue responded with a 9-1 run, cutting the deficit to two with under four minutes remaining.
As the game reached its final moments, Purdue’s Braden Smith found Camden Heide open on the wing, and Heide drilled a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 60 with 29 seconds remaining. Houston had two chances to regain the lead, but after Purdue tipped the second miss out of bounds with 2.2 seconds left, the Cougars had one final opportunity. Executing their inbounds play flawlessly, Houston found Uzan, who buried the game-winning shot with just 0.9 seconds on the clock to seal a thrilling 62-60 victory.
Stat Leaders and Next Steps
Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 16 points, while Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed 14. Braden Smith recorded 15 assists but struggled with his shooting, finishing just 2-of-7 from the field. The Boilermakers shot 40.4% overall and 29.6% from three-point range.
For Houston, Uzan’s 22 points led the way, with Sharp adding 17. J’Wan Roberts dominated the boards with 12 rebounds. The Cougars shot just 37.7% from the field but converted 39.1% of their three-point attempts.
With the win, Houston advances to face Tennessee on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. The winner will earn a trip to the Final Four in San Antonio on April 5.
