For 30 minutes on Saturday, Duke looked well on its way to the national title game and a chance to cap Cooper Flagg’s historic freshman season with a championship.
But Houston had other ideas. It reeled off a 10-0 run late in the second half to cut a 59-45 deficit to four points. Houston then ended the game with a 15-3 flurry to secure a 70-67 stunner and advance to Monday’s national title game against Florida.
Frantic finish sends Houston to national title game
Duke appeared to be in control with a 67-61 lead and possession of the ball with 1:14 remaining. But a missed Kon Knueppel layup led to an Emanuel Sharp 3-pointer on the other end that cut Duke’s lead to 67-64 with 33 seconds left.
Houston then forced a turnover on an inbounds pass under its basket, leading to a Joseph Tugler put-back dunk that cut Duke’s lead to 67-66.
Duke’s Tyrese Proctor then missed the front end of a one-and-one on the other end, and Flagg got whistled for a loose ball foul on the rebound, sending J’Wan Roberts to the free throw line with a chance to take the lead. Roberts hit both shots to give Houston a 68-67 lead with 19.6 remaining, extending Houston’s run to 13-3.
Flagg had a look at a go-ahead jumper on Duke’s next possession. But it bounced off the front of the rim. Mylik Wilson secured the rebound for Houston. Duke then fouled L.J. Cryer with 3.7 seconds remaining, and Cryer hit both free throws on the other end.
Advertisement
Proctor had a look at a desperation heave after Cryer’s free throws, but it sailed over the backboard as the final buzzer sounded.
In the end, Duke made just one field goal in the game’s final 10:31. Flagg hit a jumper at the 10:31 mark to extend Duke’s lead to 58-45. His 3-pointer with 3:03 remaining temporarily stunted the Houston rally for a 64-55 Duke advantage. But Duke ultimately couldn’t find enough offense down the stretch against the nation’s best defense.
Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils will fall two wins short of a national championship. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Jamie Squire via Getty Images)
Shocking collapse for title favorites
It added up to a stunning collapse for a Duke team pegged as the championship favorite that was in control of the game with a 14-point lead and 8:17 remaining. Flagg appeared on his way to capping his college career in the national title game with a dominant effort on both sides of the floor.
Advertisement
He finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals, scoring 19 of his points after halftime as Duke appeared to be in control of the game.
But Flagg’s late foul of Roberts opened the door for Houston to take the lead.
His late miss on the other end prevented Duke from retaking the lead with eight seconds remaining.
Flagg is widely expected to leave for the NBA, where he’ll be the presumptive No. 1 pick in the draft in June. He’ll do so with multiple National Player of the Year awards, capping one of the greatest freshman seasons in the history of college basketball. But his college career comes to a likely end two wins short of a national championship.
Advertisement
Instead, Houston has a chance to secure its first national championship after its seventh trip to the Final Four.
J’Wan Roberts and Houston will take on Florida in the national title game. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Jamie Squire via Getty Images)
L.J. Cryer leads way for Houston
Houston’s own All-American, L.J. Cryer, was its hero for much of the game. As Houston got off to a frigid 3-of-16 start from the field, Cryer was Houston’s only reliable source of offense.
He finished the first half with 12 points and three rebounds while shooting 4 of 7 from the field, including 3 of 5 from deep. The rest of Houston’s starting lineup shot a combined 4 of 16 from the field as Duke opened a 34-28 halftime edge.
As Duke pulled away early in the second half, Cryer continued to answer to keep Houston within striking distance. He hit two more 3-pointers in the first three minutes of the half. Then, during a 48-second stretch late in the half, Cryer went on a personal 6-0 run to cut Duke’s lead to 59-51 with 7:43 remaining.
His late free throws then iced the win.
Advertisement
Cryer finished the game with 26 points and five rebounds. He shot 8 of 14 from the field, including a 6-of-9 effort from 3-point distance.
In the end, Cryer’s teammates joined him on offense to spark the rally. Sharp finished with 16 points while shooting 3 of 7 from 3. Roberts posted 11 points and 12 rebounds as the Cougars secured a 42-31 edge on the glass. Houston ended the game shooting 37.7% from the field.
It ultimately has its 3-point shooting and a defense that ranks first in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency to thank for securing the win. Houston finished the game shooting 10 of 22 (45.5%) from 3-point distance.
Advertisement
And it limited Duke to 39.6% shooting from the field while holding the Blue Devils below 70 points for just the fourth time in 39 games. In the other three games below 70, Duke’s defense was good enough to secure a win.
But on Saturday, Houston picked up its 18th consecutive win. It advances to Monday’s title game to face another hot team in Florida that won the SEC tournament and defeated fellow No. 1 seed Auburn in Saturday’s other national semifinal.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
NBA playoffs: Cavaliers throttle Heat in historic 55-point blowout to complete sweep, put rest of NBA on notice
Are you paying attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers now?Cleveland completed a sweep of the Heat Monday night with an overwhelming 138-83 win in Game 4 in Miami. The margin of victory is the fourth-largest in NBA playoff history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win marked a fitting end to a dominant series for the Cavs, who set the tone with a 21-point in in Game 1 and never let off the gas.The Cavaliers advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they'll face the winner between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Whomever they face in that series and beyond is on notice: the top-seeded Cavaliers are not an afterthought to the Boston Celtics or anyone else in the race from the East to the NBA Finals.But those paying attention already knew that. The Cavaliers entered the playoffs with […]
Jimmy Butler injury update: Warriors star to start in Game 4 against Rockets on Monday
Imagn Images The Golden State Warriors are getting Jimmy Butler back on Monday. The forward took a hard fall in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets and suffered a pelvic contusion. The Warriors lost that game, but bounced back with a 104-93 win in Game 3 on Saturday despite Butler's absence. They enter Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the series and will have Butler back on the court and in the starting lineup when they do so, the team announced.Leading up to Game 4, Butler was listed as questionable. Steve Kerr told reporters pregame, "We're hopeful that he'll play, but he's gotta warm up first." He added that Butler won't be on a minutes restriction.Butler played 42 minutes in Game 1, 40 minutes in the Warriors' play-in win against the Memphis Grizzlies and 48 minutes in their overtime […]
Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow goes on IL as confusion about his injury remains
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers did the expected on Monday afternoon, placing Tyler Glasnow on the injured list a day after he left his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to right shoulder discomfort.It doesn’t appear to be just the shoulder. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described the issue Monday as “overall body soreness,” and something that came up separate from the shoulder issue that knocked Glasnow from his start after just 17 pitches.AdvertisementGlasnow did not go for an MRI on the shoulder. Glasnow has “had a lot of imaging,” Roberts said Sunday. The Dodgers don’t believe there’s anything structurally wrong with the shoulder, Roberts said again on Monday. What is wrong with the 31-year-old right-hander and former All-Star, in the second year of a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension, is a much bigger mystery.“The doctors have to look […]
Shaquille O’Neal hired as voluntary GM for Sacramento State men’s basketball
<!--> Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby.A person familiar with the situation said Monday that O’Neal will take the voluntary job for the program that his son, Shaqir, recently joined as a player. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school hadn’t made an announcement.ESPN first reported the news.Bibby, the former NBA star for the Sacramento Kings, was hired as head coach for the Hornets last month as the school tries to raise its profile in collegiate athletics.ADVERTISEMENT -->One of the first additions Bibby made was signing Shaqir O’Neal as a transfer from Florida A&M. Now Bibby has O’Neal’s father involved in the program.O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a general manager role at a college […]
Diontae Johnson is now signing with Browns, his fourth team in a year
<!--> Wide receiver Diontae Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns on Monday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The move was first reported by NFL Network.Cleveland will be the fourth team that Johnson has been on in a year. He began last season with Carolina before being traded to Baltimore in late October. Johnson — who led the Panthers with 30 receptions and 357 receiving yards at the time of the trade — had only one catch in four games for the Ravens when he refused to enter a Dec. 1 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.Johnson was suspended one game and then waived by the Ravens on Dec. 21. He was claimed by Houston […]
CFL’s Toronto Argonauts add Shedeur Sanders to negotiation list after NFL Draft slide
Shedeur Sanders has a backup plan if the Cleveland Browns don't work out for him.At least, that’s what the Toronto Argonauts are banking on.The Argonauts added Sanders to their official negotiation list on Monday, according to TSN’s Dave Naylor. That means that the Argonauts will have the first chance to sign Sanders should he attempt to join the Canadian Football League.While it’s unclear how realistic that actually is — Sanders hasn't publicly expressed any interest in joining the CFL— the Argonauts are putting themselves in position just in case.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft this past weekend after what was a shocking slide for the Colorado star. Many expected Sanders, who is the son of Colorado coach and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, to be a first round pick. Sanders also fell victim to a […]
Related
NBA playoffs: Cavaliers throttle Heat in historic 55-point blowout to complete sweep, put rest of NBA on notice
Are you paying attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers now?Cleveland completed a sweep of the Heat Monday night with an overwhelming 138-83 win in Game 4 in Miami. The margin of victory is the fourth-largest in NBA playoff history.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe win marked a fitting end to a dominant series for the Cavs, who set the tone with a 21-point in in Game 1 and never let off the gas.The Cavaliers advance to the second round of the playoffs, where they'll face the winner between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Whomever they face in that series and beyond is on notice: the top-seeded Cavaliers are not an afterthought to the Boston Celtics or anyone else in the race from the East to the NBA Finals.But those paying attention already knew that. The Cavaliers entered the playoffs with […]
Jimmy Butler injury update: Warriors star to start in Game 4 against Rockets on Monday
Imagn Images The Golden State Warriors are getting Jimmy Butler back on Monday. The forward took a hard fall in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets and suffered a pelvic contusion. The Warriors lost that game, but bounced back with a 104-93 win in Game 3 on Saturday despite Butler's absence. They enter Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the series and will have Butler back on the court and in the starting lineup when they do so, the team announced.Leading up to Game 4, Butler was listed as questionable. Steve Kerr told reporters pregame, "We're hopeful that he'll play, but he's gotta warm up first." He added that Butler won't be on a minutes restriction.Butler played 42 minutes in Game 1, 40 minutes in the Warriors' play-in win against the Memphis Grizzlies and 48 minutes in their overtime […]
Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow goes on IL as confusion about his injury remains
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers did the expected on Monday afternoon, placing Tyler Glasnow on the injured list a day after he left his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to right shoulder discomfort.It doesn’t appear to be just the shoulder. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts described the issue Monday as “overall body soreness,” and something that came up separate from the shoulder issue that knocked Glasnow from his start after just 17 pitches.AdvertisementGlasnow did not go for an MRI on the shoulder. Glasnow has “had a lot of imaging,” Roberts said Sunday. The Dodgers don’t believe there’s anything structurally wrong with the shoulder, Roberts said again on Monday. What is wrong with the 31-year-old right-hander and former All-Star, in the second year of a five-year, $136.5 million contract extension, is a much bigger mystery.“The doctors have to look […]
Shaquille O’Neal hired as voluntary GM for Sacramento State men’s basketball
<!--> Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to become the general manager of the men’s basketball program at Sacramento State under new coach Mike Bibby.A person familiar with the situation said Monday that O’Neal will take the voluntary job for the program that his son, Shaqir, recently joined as a player. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the school hadn’t made an announcement.ESPN first reported the news.Bibby, the former NBA star for the Sacramento Kings, was hired as head coach for the Hornets last month as the school tries to raise its profile in collegiate athletics.ADVERTISEMENT -->One of the first additions Bibby made was signing Shaqir O’Neal as a transfer from Florida A&M. Now Bibby has O’Neal’s father involved in the program.O’Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to take on a general manager role at a college […]
Diontae Johnson is now signing with Browns, his fourth team in a year
<!--> Wide receiver Diontae Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns on Monday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been announced. The move was first reported by NFL Network.Cleveland will be the fourth team that Johnson has been on in a year. He began last season with Carolina before being traded to Baltimore in late October. Johnson — who led the Panthers with 30 receptions and 357 receiving yards at the time of the trade — had only one catch in four games for the Ravens when he refused to enter a Dec. 1 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles.Johnson was suspended one game and then waived by the Ravens on Dec. 21. He was claimed by Houston […]
CFL’s Toronto Argonauts add Shedeur Sanders to negotiation list after NFL Draft slide
Shedeur Sanders has a backup plan if the Cleveland Browns don't work out for him.At least, that’s what the Toronto Argonauts are banking on.The Argonauts added Sanders to their official negotiation list on Monday, according to TSN’s Dave Naylor. That means that the Argonauts will have the first chance to sign Sanders should he attempt to join the Canadian Football League.While it’s unclear how realistic that actually is — Sanders hasn't publicly expressed any interest in joining the CFL— the Argonauts are putting themselves in position just in case.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Browns selected Sanders in the fifth round of the NFL Draft this past weekend after what was a shocking slide for the Colorado star. Many expected Sanders, who is the son of Colorado coach and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, to be a first round pick. Sanders also fell victim to a […]
Be the first to leave a comment