Duke, Houston and Final Four
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USA TODAY |
Duke looked all set to play for the national title in the NCAA men's tournament before an epic meltdown against Houston caused a heartbreaking loss.
CBSSports.com |
Duke saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion during a 70-67 loss to No. 1 seed Houston in San Antonio.
CBSSports.com |
Houston's 70-67 win here will be played back and referenced as part of the dramatic power of this tournament for decades to come.
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Houston secured the second spot in the NCAA men's tournament title game with a furious rally to defeat Duke. The Cougars will face Florida on Monday.
Saturday's second national semifinal showdown in San Antonio at the Final Four will see No. 1 seed Duke face No. 1 seed Houston in a rematch of last year's Sweet 16 clash won by the Blue Devils. Duke advanced to the Elite Eight last spring with a dramatic 54-51 win over the Cougars.
Houston pulled off a rally so stunning, so jarring, it will take everyone — specifically those in Durham, N.C. — a lifetime to sort out.
Paul Wall and Johnny Dang promise to give a grill to each member of the Houston Cougars if they beat Florida for the national championship.
When Duke eliminated Houston in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, poor health made for a convenient and legitimate source of blame. The Cougars were without All-American guard Jamal Shead and menacing defensive stopper JoJo Tugler due to injury.
The 2025 men's Final Four became the 2025 men's Final Two on Saturday night in San Antonio, Florida defeating Auburn 79-73 in the all-SEC semifinal before Houston stunned Duke 70-67 in the nightcap.
The Florida All-American has repeatedly come up big in late-game situations and did so again on Saturday to lead the Gators to a 79-73 win over Auburn in the Final Four. Clayton hit multiple big 3s in the second half and helped seal the win with an and-1 layup and free throw with 1:33 to extend Florida's lead to six.
Houston's Joseph Tugler appeared to tweak his ankle against Duke on Saturday. Here's the latest injury update for the star defender: