Just another routine comeback: Houston finds a way once again when it counts
It seemed impossible. It seemed improbable. It seemed unlikely.
In the end, though, it was just another day at the office for the Houston men’s basketball program. Simply put, it was just tenacity, fight, willpower - how the Cougars made it 18 straight and 31 of their last 32 following a 70-67 win against Duke in Saturday night's national semifinals.
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For those who had never seen Houston play until the Final Four, it may have been an improbable comeback to many. Down 14 points to Duke with nearly 14 minutes left. Down nine when Duke freshman wunderkind Cooper Flagg hit a 3.
And then down six entering the final minute.
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But these Cougars, wow. We saw it when they pulled off a last-second win in Orlando. We saw it when they pulled off an improbable double-overtime win in Kansas. We saw it when they continued to run roughshod on the Big 12, save for a one-point overtime loss at home to Texas Tech.
Then we saw it when they held off a late Gonzaga comeback attempt in the second round. And then in the Midwest Regional, when they answered a Purdue comeback with a brilliantly designed last-second game-winning shot.
But Saturday night may very well have topped them all. Another improbable comeback win by these resilient Coogs. But not surprising to those who have followed these guys all season.
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE#ForTheCity x #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/c5N2HKWS2A
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) April 6, 2025
Even more odds stacked against them. Point guard Milos Uzan was playing in severe foul trouble with four fouls. Joseph Tugler and Ja’Vier Francis were also in foul trouble.
LJ Cryer, whose 3-point shooting essentially helped keep Houston afloat whenever Duke seemed to threaten to run away with things, had been held without a field goal over the last eight minutes.
Joseph Tugler, who made some big plays late, committed a technical foul after grabbing at the ball while Duke was trying to execute an inbounds play.
And still - yet still - Houston found a way to win.
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Tugler blocked a shot with Houston down six in the final seconds. Emanuel Sharp got the defensive rebound and later hit a 3 on the other end, making it a one-possession game.
Then Mylik Wilson comes up with a steal off another inbounds play. Houston missed a game-tying 3, but Tugler was there for the follow. Offensive rebounds - that might have been the biggest key in Houston’s comeback right there.
More good fortune continued to smile down on Houston. Tyrese Proctor missed a free throw with 20 seconds left, and J’Wan Roberts grabbed the board while being fouled by Flagg.
That sent Roberts to the line with 19 seconds to go. The six-year player, the lone survivor from Houston’s last Final Four team. No way was he going to miss this opportunity.
No way indeed. Swish, swish. All of a sudden, Houston had the lead.
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And then Flagg, who seemed to be writing a script similar to Christian Laettner in Duke lore, missed a shot in the final seconds. Wilson grabbed the rebound, and the ball went to Cryer, who was fouled with three seconds left.
Cryer, who was part of a national title team with Baylor, went to the line and hit both free throws for the three-point lead. Then Houston never let Duke get a good look on a 3.
Ballgame. Houston wins 70-67, ending the game on an 11-1 run.
From impossible, improbable and unlikely to reality, achievement and accomplishment.
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And now, there’s one more game left in this charmed season for Houston. It’s all right there now for the Cougars. Come back to the Alamodome two nights later and do it all again.
If somehow Houston falls behind again to Florida on Monday night, we can all believe the Cougars will find a way to win it once again.
It’s part of their DNA. It’s part of their culture. We saw it again on Saturday night - a comeback for the ages.
