Houston 70 vs 67 Duke summary, stats, scores and highlights | NCAA Final Four
Ladies and gentlemen, Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars are heading to the NCAA Championship on Monday. They will be taking on the Florida Gators from San Antonio and AS English will be with you all evening.
Cooper Flagg had the ball in his hands with a chance to take the lead in the final seconds but he missed the fade away in the paint. Cryer went to the line and closed the game out sending the Cougars back to the National Championship for the first time since 1984.
Proctor was at the line with a one and one to extend the lead with 20 seconds to go, but he missed the first and Cooper Flagg got called for a foul. J'Wan Roberts went to the line and hit two clutch free throws to give the Cougars the lead.
Duke struggled to run their offense when Houston put the press on, and this inbound turned to terror for the Blue Devils as Tugler tip slammed it home to cut the lead to one.
Sharp had nine straight points to claw the Cougars back to within one possession with this three ball with under 40 seconds left. Sharp had 16 points, but was saving the best for last.
Duke hit just one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the game, and that opened the door for the Cougars to creep back into striking distance. Houston's defense was the story coming into the game, and they are the story after the second semifinal from San Antonio.
Down by 14 with 8:00 to go the Cougars kept fighting, and kept defending. Cryer hit this tough bucket to cut the lead to 11, and that would start the comeback in San Antonio.
Cryer gets all the credit but Emanuel Sharp won this game for the Cougars. He came up with some clutch buckets down the stretch. Once the Blue Devils hit a rut, he was there to put them to the sword.
Cryer carried the torch for most of the night but when it was time to make a move, the rest of the cast came up with some big plays. Milos Uzan had a couple of beautiful lay ups at the cup and that gave the Cougars some momentum.
Flagg got hot in the second half. He went into the break with 8 points, but ended the night with 27, but he cooled down in the final 10 minutes with the rest of his team.
Cryer had 12 points in the first half, which accounted for half of his teams points in the first 20 minutes. The Cougars were able to cut the deficit to six points heading into halftime.
LIttle by little the Cougars started to find their stride. They couldn't buy a bucket in the first 10 minutes but their hustle and effort kept them in the game until it was time to strike.
Duke led by double digits, and were dominating the first half but Houston just hung around all game long. Knueppel was the top scorer for Duke in the first half, but he was kept quite in the second.
The shots weren't dropping for the Cougars so they buckled down and did what they do best. They defended, and that seemed to wake the offense up late in the first half.
Flagg set the tone for his team in his first national semifinal. He knew this physical Houston defense was going to come after him and he was ready for it.
Duke might have lost, but Cooper Flagg did about all he could do on Saturday night. He started the game with this three ball, and that was just a taste of what was to come.
The Houston Cougars are heading to the National Championship for the first time in four decades. L.J Cryer led his team with 26 points but the Cougars needed some late game heroics to complete one of the most incredible comebacks in NCAA Tournament history.
The game got off to a terrible start, especially for the Cougars. Cryer got things going with the opening bucket of the game, but they had just 4 points after four minutes and 9 points after the first 10 minutes.
Highlights of the game coming up now. Hopefully you didn't miss it, but if you did, we got you covered.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
HOUSTON WITH A MIRACULOUS COMEBACK!!! THEY END THE GAME ON AN 11-1 RUN!!!! THEY ARE GOING BACK TO THE TITLE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1984!!!
Proctor throws up a prayer at the buzzer and it flies over the backboard!!!
Cryer to the line with 2.5 on the clock and he hits both FTs!!!
Flagg with the fade away from inside the paint but he left it short and Houston get the rebound!!
17.2 seconds to go.
Timeout Duke after giving up a 13-3 run over the last two minutes.
Proctor went to the line for a one and one and missed it! Flagg was called for the foul on the rebound attempt and Roberts hits both FTs to take the lead!
Duke got the ball after the review, but it was stolen by Houston and Tugller was there to tip slam the Wilson missed three!!!
Duke had their inbound knocked out of bounds, and that play is going to be reviewed to make sure who it went off last.
Sharp with a pump fake and he drains the three ball from the wing with 32.4 to!!!
Timeout Houston!
Tugler got T'd up for reaching over the line on the inbound so Knueppel goes to the line and hits the FT. Duke ball with 1:14 to go.
Sharp to the line after the foul on Muluach, and he hits both FTs with 1:14 to go.
Sharp fouls Flagg in the back court and the freshman his both FTs.
Timeout Duke with 1:27 to go.
Sharp to the line after the foul on Brown and he hits both FTs.
Sharp down the lane and he gets an uncontested lay up.
2:30 to go.
Flagg with a three ball in the corner in a big time moment and the lead is back up to 9!
Proctor to the line and he hits both FTs.
Proctor was fouled by Roberts and he'll heading to the line after the TV timeout with 3:44 to go.
Sharp misses the jumper but Tugler is there for the tip in and it's a four point game!
Tugler finds Roberts on the slip pass and he reverses it home.
Timeout Duke with 6:26 to go.
Cryer off the dribble and he hits the off balanced floater from outside the lane.
There was a dust up before the foul and Gilis was called for a technical. Cryer hits one of two FTs, and Houston get the ball back.
Cryer with a leaner three ball from the top of the key and he drills it! He's got 21 of the Cougars 48 points.
Proctor to the line after the foul on Uzan and he hits one of two after Uzan picks up his 4th foul.
Flagg with the hesitation and finish off the glass. He's got 22 on the night.
Offensive rebound from Tugler and he hits Sharp for three on the wing!
Flagg hits both FTs to stretch the lead to 14.
Flagg to the line after the foul on Francis and he will shoot FTs after the TV timeout with 11:54 to go in the 2nd half.
Flagg with the interception and he gets sent to the free throw line after running the break and getting fouled by Uzan. Both FTs are good. He's got 18 points on the night.
Dumpdown to James from Knueppel and he lays it up and in.
TV Timeout with 13:30 to go in the 2nd half.
Uzan with another beautiful lay up high off the glass from the right side.
Knueppel from the top of the key and he drills the three after some confusion from the defense.
Nice spin from Roberts on the block and he gets the baby hook to fall off the glass.
Offensive rebound leads to a Proctor dish to Flagg for three from the wing!
Roberts finds Francis after the double team came and he was wide open for the slam!
Flagg with the pump fake, put up, foul and bucket in the lane! FT is good after the foul on Tugler.
Cryer from the wing and he's got two triples in this second half!
Maluach finds James driving down the lane for the monster jam!
Uzan on the drive to the right side and he hangs it high off the glass.
James in the corner off the assists from Flagg and he strokes the three!
Cryer with a three ball off the dribble and the Cougars started to heat up at the end of the first half. Let's see if it carries over to the second.
Flagg with a quick lay up after a goldtend is called on Houston.
WE ARE BACK IN SAN ANTONIO FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!
Cryer drills this three ball to cut the lead down to single digits and go into half with 12 points to lead Houston.
Roberts and the Cougars started to find their groove late in the half, and that would open up the perimeter for Cryer.
Flagg has 2 assists but should have more after setting up his teammates with dimes like this one to Maluach.
The Cougars started to turn up the intensity on the defensive end and that led to them chipping into the lead. They had just 9 points in the first 10 minutes of the game, but the points eventually came late in the half.
Flagg has 8 points and 4 rebounds along with a couple of blocks in his first Final Four Game.
Flagg got his night going with a three ball from the wing as the Blue Devils made an 11-3 run to stretch out to a double digit lead.
This game got off to an ugly start for both teams. It was 4-2 after the first four minutes of the half and the Cougars took a while to start seeing shots fall.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME FROM SAN ANTONIO!!!
The Dukies are up by six but the Cougars are hanging around.
Cryer with a three ball and he is carrying this Cougars team in the first half.
Roberts sends Maluach back to the line and he hits both FTs.
Uzan off the dribble and he hits the three from the top of the key over the defender.
Malauch to the line after the foul on Tugler and he hits one of two FTs.
Cryer answers back with a three ball in the corner off the dish from Uzan.
Kupp with the offensive board off his own miss, he gets the bucket and the foul!!! FT is good.
Francis to the line after the foul on Foster and he hits both FTs.
TV timeout with 2:36 to go in the first half.
Flagg off the dribble and he slips it to Brown for the wide open jam.
Roberts answers back with a jam on the baseline after the spin past the defender.
Three ball from Knueppel in the corner and the lead it up to double figures!
Proctor with the jumper from the FT line and he banks it in.
Flagg with the dish and finding Maluach who slams it home and gets the foul!!! FT is good.
Roberts down low and he gets the jump hook to fall from outside the lane.
Timeout Duke with 7:40 after a 6-0 run from Houston.
Sharp drills a three ball from the top of the key and let's see if that gets the Cougars going from the field.
Roberts to the line after the foul on James and he his one of two FTs.
Brown on the offensive glass and the put back off the miss from Foster.
Timeout Houston with Duke on an 11-3 run with 10:47 to go in the 1st half.
Foster went to the line and missed both but Brown popped the ball in the air where it ends up in Knueppel's hands for the lay up.
Cryer misses the second FT.
Ngongba with the foul and Cryer goes to the line where he hits one and we go to a TV timeout with 11:51 to go in the first half.
Back door cut from Knuepple and he lays it up on the reverse.
Flagg slashes to the rack and skies to the iron for the slam between two defenders.
Tough shot from Cryer on the fader from the elbow and he gets it to go.
Proctor off the curl and he floats it up and in down the lane.
Flagg with a three ball from the wing and he's on the board in the national semifinal!
Scramble for a loose ball in the half court and it falls for Wilson who gets a wide open lay up.
Knuepple strings a three ball in the corner and he's got all 5 points for Duke.
Sharp to the line after the foul on Proctor and he hits one of two FTs.
Knuepple to the line after the foul on Francis and he hits both FTs.
Cryer drills a three ball to start us off from San Antonio!!
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM SAN ANTONIO FOR THE FINAL GAME OF THE NIGHT! HOUSTON VS. DUKE WITH A SPOT IN THE TITLE GAME UP FOR GRABS.
Cooper Flagg and the Dukies are locked in. They are looking to get back to the title game for the first time in a decade, and their freshman phenom can cement his legacy as one of the best freshman ever with a big performance tonight.
The Houston Cougars are ready for tip off. The game is in San Antonio, let's see if the crowd at the Alamodome is over run with red tonight in this game that is being played in their back yard.
The Florida Gators are going to the National Championship for the first time since 2007. They now sit back and await an opponent as Duke and Houston get set to slug it out from San Antonio.
Tourney history: Houston
Kelvin Sampson has brought the Cougars back to the national scene after decades of irrelevance in the NCAA tournament. They went to the Final four here straight years in the 80s and went to two national championships but lost both of those in 1983 and 1984. They are back in the Final Four for the second time in the last five years and now they have a chance to bring the University of Houston their first title ever.
Tourney history: Duke
Duke has been once of the references in college basketball since the 60s even before the arrival of coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K brought home the first title in 1991 and have been tournament champions five times. Their most recent title came in 2015, but since then they have been to just two Final Fours. If they win it all this weekend, they would join UCONN and UNC for a tied for third most titles in the history of the NCAA, trailing only Kentucky and UCLA.
Star watch: Houston
Houston is a team that prides themselves on their defense and that was evident in their last game against Tennessee. They are giving up 54 points a game in the tournament but they have some guys who can put the ball in the basket. LJ Cryer is their top scorer getting 15.4 points and had a 30 point game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Emanuel Sharp is the second leading scorer with 12.7 points a game and is averaging 13.3 a game during the Tournament.
Star watch: Duke
There is no need to introduce Cooper Flagg. He is the AP National Player of the Year as of a few days ago, and if you haven’t seen him play yet shame on you. He’s Duke Mr. Everything who can shoot, handle the rock, rebound and defend. He has been the next big thing in basketball for a few years, and has delivered in his freshman year at Duke. He is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season and has bumped up those numbers in the tourney. Over the last four games he’s getting 19.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He is having a historic first year in college and if he leads Duke to the title, he may go down as the best freshman in history of college basketball.
How they got here: Duke
The Dukies started the year in the Top 10, and all eyes were on their freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. They started their season taking on a team from Flagg’s home state, the Miami Bears and waxed them by 30. They would lose two of their first five games to two ranked team, 19th Kentucky and #1 Kansas but they would lose just one game after that. They won 32 of their last 33 games, and went on to win the ACC Championship without Flagg who sprained his ankle early in the tournament. They got the one seed and spanked Mt. St. Mary’s by 44, then Baylor by 23. Their game against Arizona was the toughest test they had, but Flagg had 30 in the 100-93 win over the Wildcats and then the Blue Devils handled the Crimson Tide with ease to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2022.
How they got here: Houston
Houston came into the season as the fourth ranked team in the nation and stayed their all year. They lost to Auburn in their second game of the season, then lost to Alabama in OT three games later and San Diego State stunned them for their third loss in their opening seven games. They would win 26 of their next 27 including the Big 12 Championship over Arizona, and claim a one seed heading into the tournament. They crushed SIU Edwardsville by 38 in the opening round, then squeaked by Gonzaga in a tough second round matchup. Purdue gave them all they could handle in the Sweet 16, as the Cougars won 62-60 to set up a match up with Tennessee who they dominated from the start to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2021.
How they got here: Houston
Houston came into the season as the fourth ranked team in the nation and stayed their all year. They lost to Auburn in their second game of the season, then lost to Alabama in OT three games later and San Diego State stunned them for their third loss in their opening seven games. They would win 26 of their next 27 including the Big 12 Championship over Arizona, and claim a one seed heading into the tournament. They crushed SIU Edwardsville by 38 in the opening round, then squeaked by Gonzaga in a tough second round matchup. Purdue gave them all they could handle in the Sweet 16, as the Cougars won 62-60 to set up a match up with Tennessee who they dominated from the start to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2021.
Last game: Duke
Duke took on the high flying Alabama Crimson Tide and shut one of the best shooting teams in the country down in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils went wire to wire scoring 46 points in the first half, and led by double digits for the entire second half. It was never really close as the Bama offense was kept quiet and Kon Knueppel led the way with 21, 5 and 5. Cooper Flagg had 16 and 9 as four of the five Duke starters ended the night in double digits.
Last game: Houston
The Cougars were back in the Elite Eight for the third time in five years, and acted like they had been there before. They jumped out to a double digit lead on the Tennessee Volunteers midway through the first half, and they kept that cushion for the entire game. They held the Vols to just 28.8% shooting, and just 5/29 from the three point line. Meanwhile LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp combined for 33 points as the Cougars punched their ticket to the Final Four for the seventh time in school history.
We are live from San Antonio
Hello everyone and welcome to the Alamodome where the second of two match ups between one seeds is just moments away. For just the second time ever all four No. 1 seeds make the Final Four, and after two weekends, four rounds and 64 games just two games remain. The Duke Blue Devils have the best player in the country and are looking to bring the title back to Durham for the first time in a decade. The Houston Cougars have been tourney regulars for the last six years, and now they have a chance to get back to the National Championship for the first time in four years.
Houston vs. Duke
It’s Final Four Saturday from San Antonio, and we have the second of two tips offs coming up from the Alamodome. All four one seeds made it to the final weekends, and there is a final spot up for grabs in the National Title game. Duke and AP Player of the Year Cooper Flagg take on a Houston Cougars team that has been knocking on the door of their first NCAA Title in school history. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, scores and highlights of tonight’s game from San Antonio.