Image courtesy nytimes.com
| System ID: | jl-b272b59796c09c2faf9c64a2c00ca0f3 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Freshman Koa Peat elevates Arizona past Purdue to end 25-year Final Four drought |
| Link: | Original article on nytimes.com |
| Region: | US |
| Topics: | fun; final; points; wildcats; waiting; arizona; purdue; basketball; ended; begins; played; peat; vs; national; college; koa; smith; Arizona Wildcats; Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball; Koa Peat; Assist (basketball); Rebound (basketball); Gold medal; FIFA World Cup; Basketball |
| Datetime: | 3/29/2026, 3:26:13 AM |
| Summary: | 1 seed Wildcats bounced back from an ugly first half to dispatch second-seeded Purdue 79-64 in the Elite Eight. Purdue coach Matt Painter said Peat was “fantastic” the whole game, adding that two pull-up jumpers Peat hit earlier in the second half were particularly back-breaking. Arizona last played in the Final Four in 2001, when it lost to Duke in the national championship game. Since then the Wildcats had played for a Final Four bid five times in regional finals and lost all of them. Long considered a college basketball blue blood, Arizona won its only national title in 1997 under legendary coach Lute Olson.... |
