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Last
Night’s
March
Madness
Sweet 16
Delivers
Late
Thrills
and
Elite 8
Boundaries
Bunky
McFadden
- Sports
Tell Us
USA News
Network
GLENDALE,
Ariz. -
Last
night’s
March
Madness
Sweet 16
delivered
late‑game
drama
and a
pair of
top‑seed
routs
that set
the
stage
for the
Elite
Eight.
In the
West
Region,
No. 2
Purdue
edged
No. 11
Texas
79‑77 in
a tense
finish.
Blake
Hinson
hit a
tying
three in
the
final
minute,
but
Purdue’s
Trey
Kaufman‑Renn
answered
with a
contested
hook
shot in
the
closing
seconds
and
added a
pair of
free
throws
to seal
the win
and send
the
Boilermakers
to the
Elite
Eight.
In the
South
Region,
Cinderella
No. 9
Iowa
kept its
run
alive
with a
77‑71
victory
over No.
4
Nebraska.
The
Hawkeyes
withstood
a
fast‑paced
first
half,
then
pulled
away
late
behind a
late
three‑point
play and
a clutch
layup
from
Alvaro
Folgueiras.
Iowa’s
bench
also
contributed
mightily,
with Sly
Burke‑Hardy
and
Jamarques
Lawrence
combining
for 17
points
off the
pine.
In the
East,
No. 1
Arizona
ran away
from
Arkansas
in the
second
half,
posting
a 109‑88
victory.
The
Wildcats
neutralized
Arkansas’
early
three‑point
barrage
with
balanced
scoring
and
interior
defense,
turning
what
looked
like a
shootout
into a
comfortable
advance
to the
Elite
Eight.
In the
Midwest,
No. 3
Illinois
toppled
No. 2
Houston
65‑55,
using a
stifling
second‑half
defense
and
timely
three‑point
shooting
to blunt
the
Cougars’
offense.
Illinois’
Kendall
Bostic
helped
key the
stretch
that
turned
the
contest,
effectively
ending
Houston’s
best‑chance
window
at a
national
title.
Purdue
and Iowa
will
both aim
for the
Final
Four in
Saturday’s
Elite
Eight
matchups,
while
Arizona
and
Illinois
carry
the
top‑seed
mantle
in their
respective
regions
as the
tournament
narrows
to eight
teams.
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