Milos Uzan's late bucket on inbound play sends Houston into Elite Eight with 62-60 win over Purdue

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Milos Uzan secured a game-winning layup, allowing No. 1 Houston to clinch the final Elite Eight position with a thrilling 62-60 victory over No. 4 Purdue during the late-night Midwest Region semifinal in Indianapolis on Friday. With the score tied at 60, Houston initiated its final possession with just 2.8 seconds remaining, having the ball out of bounds to the right of the basket. Uzan passed the ball to Joseph Tugler in the lane, then received a return pass to score with only 0.9 seconds left on the clock. Braden Smith received Purdue's ensuing inbounds pass, moving from left to right across halfcourt, but his final shot attempt fell short. Houston triumphed despite relinquishing a 10-point lead in the last eight minutes. Uzan contributed 22 points and six assists for the Cougars (33-4), while Emanuel Sharp added 17 points. Houston is set to face second-seeded Tennessee on Sunday afternoon in the regional final. For Purdue (24-12), Fletcher Loyer led the scoring with 16 points.

In another matchup, No. 2 Tennessee defeated No. 3 Kentucky 78-65, with Zakai Zeigler and the Volunteers securing their place in the Elite Eight by overcoming the Wildcats in the Midwest Region, thus avenging two regular-season losses to their Southeastern Conference rivals. Chaz Lanier scored 17 points, and Jordan Gainey contributed 16 points for Tennessee (30-7), which will meet No. 1 Houston on Sunday for a chance to reach the Final Four. Lamont Butler was the top scorer for Kentucky (24-12) with 18 points, hitting four of the Wildcats' six three-pointers.

In the South Region, No. 1 Auburn triumphed over No. 5 Michigan with a score of 78-65, as Johni Broome led the Tigers with a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds in the regional semifinal held in Atlanta. Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford each added 20 points for Auburn (31-5), which overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half to secure its third Elite Eight appearance. The Tigers will face No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday for a chance to advance to the Final Four. Danny Wolf led Michigan (27-10) with 20 points, while Vladislav Goldin contributed 10 points and nine rebounds, and Nimari Burnett also scored 10 points