Arizona's defense was absolutely suffocating in the second half. Trailing 38-31 at intermission, the Wildcats stormed back with a dominant 48-26 second-half performance that completely shut down Purdue's offense. Arizona's largest lead ballooned to 18 points as the Boilermakers couldn't find any rhythm, their defense equally struggling to contain the Wildcats' firepower. The final stretch was all Arizona. Brayden Burries drilled a clutch three-pointer with 22 seconds left to put the game away at 79-61, and despite Fletcher Loyer's last-ditch three for Purdue with 11 seconds remaining, it was far too little, too late. The No. 1 seed's second-half dominance was the difference-maker, punching their ticket to the Final Four with a commanding 79-64 victory at the neutral site in San Jose.