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  • A Dominant Second-Half Pushes Arizona MBB Past Purdue As Wildcats Reach the Final Four

A Dominant Second-Half Pushes Arizona MBB Past Purdue As Wildcats Reach the Final Four

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Basketball

(BCSNN) — Arizona saved its most complete half of basketball for the biggest moment of its season — and produced a second‑half avalanche that carried the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years.

Trailing by seven at halftime, top‑seeded Arizona unleashed a blistering 48‑point second half to overpower No. 2 Purdue 79–64 on Saturday night at SAP Center, securing the program’s fifth Final Four appearance and its first since 2001. The Wildcats (36–2) outscored Purdue by 22 after the break, flipping a tense, physical regional final into a runaway finish.

Ivan Kharchenkov led Arizona with 18 points and eight rebounds, repeatedly attacking the rim and finishing through contact. Fellow freshman Koa Peat added 20 points and seven rebounds as the Wildcats dominated the interior during the decisive stretch.

Jaden Bradley delivered one of the game’s most important sequences, scoring or assisting on Arizona’s first four baskets of the second half. His driving layup tied the game at 42–42, and moments later Anthony Dell’Orso buried a transition three to give Arizona the lead for good.

From there, the Wildcats overwhelmed Purdue with pressure, pace and balance. Brayden Burries added 14 points on 4‑for‑7 shooting from deep, while Motiejus Krivas anchored the paint with 12 rebounds. Arizona controlled the glass, piled up second‑chance points and repeatedly turned Purdue miscues into transition opportunities.

Arizona’s defensive intensity suffocated the Boilermakers after halftime. Purdue, which shot 50 percent from three in the first half, went just 1‑for‑8 from beyond the arc in the second. The Wildcats also closed the door at the free‑throw line, finishing 90.9 percent at the stripe.

The lead swelled to 18 in the final minute as Arizona sealed one of the most dominant tournament performances of the Tommy Lloyd era.

The victory also marked a program‑record 36th win, adding another milestone to a season already filled with them. Arizona now heads to the Final Four with a 12‑game winning streak and the look of a team peaking at exactly the right time.