The formidable defense of the Houston Cougars helped the volunteers in Tennessee in check during the Elite Eight match on Sunday.
The country’s most stingy defense held the flights at 15 points in the first half, the least in a match Elite Eight since 1979. Victory 69-50 obtained Houston’s first trip in the Final Four since 2021.
The cougars have now passed in the Final Four seven times throughout the history of the program. The victory also extended the longest sequence of active victories in the country at 17 games.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover on Foxnews.com
The Houston Cougars are presented after defeating Tennessee volunteers in the Midwest regional final in Indianapolis on Sunday. (Images of Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn)
The last two Houston races in the NCAA male tournament ended in Sweet 16, but this time, the team of coach Kelvin Sampson is still dancing and still has a chance to win the first national title of the program.
NCAA 2025 women’s tournament: best Sunday elite moments
The cougars will face Duke on Saturday in San Antonio, just 3 1/2 hours from campus. The cougars reached the national match twice, losing in 1983 against the state of North Carolina and in 1984 against Georgetown in the Phi Slama Jama.
Houston goalkeeper Emanuel Sharp made four points at 3 points and Joseph Tugler, who assured the decisive basket on Friday against Purdue, succeeded in nine rebounds.
I Wan Roberts de Houston (13) famous in the last minutes of a victory over Tennessee in the Elite Eight tournament of the NCAA College basketball tournament on Sunday in Indianapolis. (AP photo / Michael Conroy)
Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points each for the second seeded volunteers, who again failed in the first appearance of the Final Four program. The team of coach Rick Barnes was also eliminated during a regional final last year.
Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson holds the Midwest Region Championship trophy after defeating Tennessee during the Elite Eight Channel of the NCAA College basketball tournament on Sunday. (AP photo / AJ MAST)
When thefts were fortunate to reduce the deficit to a figure to a single digit in the second half, the best shooting team in the country in 3 points did three directly beyond the arc to extend the margin to 17.
Even in the second half, Tennessee had trouble. The defense that has ahead of the Kentucky so completely in the previous round could not take enough stops and although the offensive improved, it was not good enough.
