Houston forward J’Wan Roberts (13) and guard Mylik Wilson (8) celebrate as the team scores ahead of Duke during the second half of the Final Four, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
SAN ANTONIO — For the first time in 41 years, Houston men’s basketball is headed back to the national championship, fueled by the simple words that echoed through its huddle: “Don’t quit.”
The Cougars trailed by 14 with just 8:17 remaining, but with belief in each other, they pulled off an improbable 70-67 win over Duke inside the Alamodome in front of more than 68,000 fans.
The Cougars trailed by 14 with just 8:17 remaining, but with belief in each other, they pulled off an improbable 70-67 win over Duke inside the Alamodome in front of over 68,000 fans.
“No one ever loses at anything as long as you don’t quit,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “We felt like if we could get it close enough to put some game pressure on them, that something good could happen.”
Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler blocked freshman guard Kon Knueppel’s driving layup attempt, allowing redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp to grab a defensive rebound, a signature feature of any Cougar comeback.
As Sharp nailed a 3-pointer, three points separated the Cougars and Blue Devils with 33 seconds remaining.
“That just gave everyone hope,” Sharp said.
As Duke inbounded the ball during its next possession, graduate guard Mylik Wilson tipped the pass and quickly launched a 3-pointer. He missed the shot, but Tugler soared in for the offensive rebound and dunked it, cutting the deficit to just one.
With 20 seconds left, junior guard Tyrese Proctor missed a 1-and-1 free throw.
Then, freshman forward Cooper Flagg, who finished with 27 points, sent graduate forward J’Wan Roberts to the line for another round of game-changing free throws. The winningest player in school history had been preparing for the moment.
“These are good,” junior guard Milos Uzan thought as Roberts took the shots. “J’Wan shoots 150 free throws a day… when nobody is watching, you are going to knock them down when everyone is watching.”
Uzan was right. Roberts calmly sank both free throws, giving Houston a 68-67 lead — their first since the 14:54 mark of the first half.
On the other end, Roberts guarded Flagg as he launched a contested jumper.
Proctor fouled graduate guard L.J. Cryer, who hit two free throws to seal the win.
“As long as there’s time on the clock, we’ve got to keep fighting,” Cryer said. “We just kept believing and got it done.”
The Cougars held Duke without a field goal for the final 3:03 and closed the game with a 25-8 run over the last eight minutes.
Cryer carried the Cougars throughout the night, drilling six 3-pointers and totaling 26 points to keep Houston in the fight and set up a date with Florida in the national championship game on Monday at 7:50 p.m. CT.
On a whiteboard in the Cougars’ locker room, the phrase “one more” stood next to their 35-4 record.
Houston hasn’t reached the national championship game since falling to Georgetown in 1984 and North Carolina State in 1983. Now, one more game stands between the Cougars and an elusive title they have been chasing for decades.
“We want it bad,” redshirt sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux said. “It would be a miracle and a blessing.”
sports@thedailycougar.com
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