Purdue has advanced to the Sweet 16 yet again. The No. 4 Boilermakers secured a significant lead against No. 12 McNeese in the first half, clinching a 76-62 victory in the NCAA tournament’s second round. While the second half was less impressive, Purdue’s strong performance in the first half provided them with a comfortable cushion that ultimately secured their win.
At halftime, Purdue held a commanding 38-20 lead as McNeese struggled on both offense and defense. The Cowboys shot just 31% from the field, were out-rebounded by 10, and Purdue players consistently found scoring opportunities both from beyond the arc and near the basket. The possibility of McNeese scoring fewer than 20 points in a half, as Clemson had done against them earlier, briefly loomed.
The second half saw Purdue struggle to make field goals for over six minutes until a crucial layup by Trey Kaufman-Renn broke the dry spell with 9:49 remaining. Despite this, McNeese only managed to trim Purdue’s lead by three points during that time due to a series of technical fouls. A foul by Christian Shumate on Kaufman-Renn led to technical fouls being called on both Shumate and McNeese’s coach, resulting in Purdue extending their lead with successful free throws.
Kaufman-Renn finished the game with an impressive 22 points and 15 rebounds, helping Purdue secure the win. With McNeese’s defeat, only No. 12 Colorado State and No. 11 Drake, among the seeded 11 or lower teams, are left in the men’s tournament. Looking ahead, Drake will face No. 3 Texas Tech while Colorado State takes on No. 4 Maryland.
The game marked the end of Wade’s tenure as McNeese’s coach, as he is expected to be named the new coach of NC State following the departure of Kevin Keatts. Purdue’s victory propels them to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year after overcoming a historic upset as a No. 1 seed in 2023. With two more wins, the Boilermakers could secure another Final Four appearance, building on their previous national title game appearance in 2024.
