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.

The Cougars trailed by 14 with just 8:17 remaining in the semifinals, 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.”

The message in the huddle was simple: “Don’t quit.”

As redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp nailed a 3-pointer, three points separated the Cougars and Blue Devils with 33 seconds remaining.

“That just gave everyone hope,” Sharp said.

The shift started with sophomore forward Joseph Tugler knocking down a shot by Duke’s freshman guard Kon Knueppel, allowing Houston to grab a defensive rebound, a signature feature of any Cougar comeback.

As Duke inbounded the ball during its next possession, graduate guard Mylik Wilson tipped the pass and quickly pulled up for a three. 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.

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 has 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 midway through the opening 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 scoreless 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, the Cougars have another chance to secure the 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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“Cougar comeback sends Houston men’s basketball to first national championship in 41 years” was originally posted on The Cougar