Houston Clinches Final Four Spot with Dominant Win Over Tennessee, Set to Face Duke
On Sunday, Houston soared as they beat Tennessee 69–50. The Cougars, a top seed, secured a spot in the Final Four. This win marks their seventh time at this level, and it is their first since 2021. Houston built an early lead and kept it. Their defense held strong; it limited Tennessee to 15 points in the first half. That 15 stands as a record low for a top‐two seed in NCAA tournament history.
Houston also ruled the boards. They claimed 14 offensive rebounds while Tennessee gathered 12. Those extra boards produced 19 second-chance points and led to 14 more shot attempts.
The backcourt duo drove the game. LJ Cryer scored 17 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. Emanuel Sharp added 16 points. Sharp hit two key three-pointers that sealed the win. He said, “We all played fearless. We knew we had to come out and deliver the first punch, and that’s what we did. We came out with crazy intensity, and that’s what this team does.”
Houston’s coach Kelvin Sampson celebrated the win. His head-to-head record against Tennessee’s Rick Barnes now stands at 13–8. Sampson’s defensive strategy stifled Tennessee, who shot just 29% from the field and a poor 17% from beyond the arc.
Tennessee had bright sparks, too. Jordan Gainey scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Lanier also added 17 points but struggled with only 4-of-18 field goals and 2-of-12 from three.
Houston now readies itself to face Duke, another 1-seed, on April 5. The team has six days to plan and train. The Final Four matchup will air live on CBS. Sampson remarked after the game, “It’s all about the journey to me… I’m proud of our culture, proud of our past players, proud of our current players, just proud of our program.”
With clear goals and close ties between each play, the Cougars set out for a determined battle with Duke as college basketball fans turn their eyes to the Final Four.
