Purdue Advances to Sweet 16 After Beating Miami (Fla.)

Fletcher Loyer shines with 24 points as Boilermakers reach third straight Sweet 16

Mar. 22, 2026 at 9:55pm

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No. 2 seed Purdue beat Miami (Fla.) 79-69 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. Fletcher Loyer scored 24 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn had 19 points and 9 rebounds for the Boilermakers, who will face 11th-seeded Texas in the West Region semifinals.

Why it matters

Purdue's victory extends its streak of Sweet 16 appearances to three consecutive years, showcasing the program's consistency and competitiveness under head coach Matt Painter. The Boilermakers' balanced scoring attack and ability to withstand Miami's comeback efforts demonstrate their depth and resilience as a team.

The details

Purdue jumped out to an early lead behind 10 first-half points from Loyer, but Miami fought back to take a 40-38 halftime advantage. In the second half, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn led a Purdue surge that pushed the lead to 11 points. Miami cut the deficit to 73-69 late, but Braden Smith's free throws in the final minute sealed the victory for the Boilermakers.

  • Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.
  • The Boilermakers will face 11th-seeded Texas in the West Region semifinals on Thursday in San Jose, California.

The players

Fletcher Loyer

A Purdue guard who scored a team-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers, to power the Boilermakers' offense.

Trey Kaufman-Renn

A Purdue forward who contributed 19 points and 9 rebounds to Purdue's winning effort.

Braden Smith

Purdue's starting point guard, who had 12 points and 8 assists but also a career-high 8 turnovers.

Matt Painter

Purdue's head coach, who earned his 500th career victory with the Boilermakers.

Shelton Henderson

A Miami guard who led the Hurricanes with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

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What they’re saying

“We have a good team, we have good balance, and Braden is the guy that makes us go — and he sets things off. I know he's frustrated, but we were able to win and advance, and now we can play another day.”

— Matt Painter, Purdue Head Coach

“The thing with him is you've got to try to limit him as much as possible because he's the engine to the machine. Everybody knows that. And so we tried to deny him. We tried to trap him. ... We just had to give him different looks. We tried to make him as uncomfortable as possible.”

— Jai Lucas, Miami Head Coach

“I hold myself to a higher standard. It was a bit frustrating. Obviously, I wanted shots to fall, but win and advance, and we move on.”

— Braden Smith, Purdue Guard

What’s next

Purdue will face 11th-seeded Texas in the West Region semifinals on Thursday in San Jose, California. It will be the teams' first meeting since Purdue eliminated Texas in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Purdue's balanced scoring attack and resilience in the face of Miami's comeback efforts demonstrate the Boilermakers' depth and experience, which have propelled them to a third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The team's ability to win despite an uncharacteristic performance from star guard Braden Smith underscores their overall strength and coaching leadership under Matt Painter.