Houston Cougars On SI

Houston downs Tennessee: Live score, updates, highlights from 2025 NCAA Elite 8 game

Cougars punch their ticket to the Final Four with overwhelming performance
Buck Ringgold|
Houston guard LJ Cryer
Houston guard LJ Cryer | Alex Martin/Lafayette Journal and Courier/USA TODAY NETWORK

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Houston CougarsTennessee Volunteers

Houston is going for its second Final Four appearance in a five-season span.

The Cougars will attempt to earn a short trip to San Antonio as they take on Tennessee for the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Region championship on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.

How to watch, stream Houston basketball vs. Tennessee in NCAA Elite 8: TV, prediction

Houston - the No. 1 seed in the Midwest - has currently won 16 straight ballgames and the Cougars (33-4) have won 29 of their last 30 ballgames after a 4-3 start. With a win, the Cougars will go to their first Final Four since 2021 and for the seventh time in program history.

Can Houston tap into its road mentality for at least one more weekend?

On Friday, the Cougars got a basket from point guard Milos Uzan with less than a second left to defeat Purdue, 62-60, in the Sweet 16 round. Houston is making its third Elite Eight appearance in the last five seasons.

Kelvin Sampson still receiving support - and a gift - from one of his former bosses

Tennessee (30-7), which entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed from the Midwest, has never reached the Final Four. The Volunteers, making their second straight Elite Eight appearance, are coming off a 78-65 win against Kentucky in their Sweet 16 game on Friday. 

Follow Houston Cougars On SI writer Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium. Refresh for the latest score and live updates.

HOUSTON 69, TENNESSEE 50 FINAL

(Refresh for the latest updates)

POSTGAME

- Houston guard Emanuel Sharp was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Regional. LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan were also named to the All-Tournament team.

- LJ Cryer led Houston with 17 points - 10 coming in the first half. Emanuel Sharp added 16 points and made four 3-pointers as well for the Final Four-bound Coogs.

- For the seventh time in program history, and for the first time since 2021, the Houston Cougars are FINAL FOUR BOUND.

SECOND HALF

- One minute left and Houston is officially Final Four bound. (Houston, 67-50 | 1:00, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Check that, make it 16 points now for Emanuel Sharp as he hits his fourth trey of the day. (Houston, 62-44 | 3:00, 2nd)

- Emanuel Sharp now leads Houston with 13 points. LJ Cryer with 12. (Houston, 59-44 | 3:43, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And Mylik Wilson gets a trey of his own. Cougars can start to feel it. San Antonio is beckoning. (Houston, 59-42 | 4:02, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. JoJo Tugler with a huge defensive rebound as Tennessee was about to cut it to single digits. Then on the other end, Emanuel Sharp knocks one down from the right wing. (Houston, 56-42 | 4:30, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Emanuel Sharp hits it deep from the top of the key. Tennessee has made just 4-of-24 3-point baskets. (Houston, 53-40 | 5:10, 2nd)

- Tennessee creeping back into it. Vols are down by 11 with six minutes left. (Houston, 50-39 | 5:55, 2nd)

- What a play from LJ Cryer. Emanuel Sharp misses a 3 from the corner, and the ball bounces around before landing in Cryer's hands in the lane, and he releases a quick jumper. Cougars now up by 15 at the under-8 time out. (Houston, 50-35 | 7:17, 2nd)

- J'Wan Roberts has 7 of his 9 points after halftime. Then after scoring 10 first-half points, LJ Cryer hasn't scored a second-half point. But it hasn't affected Houston only. (Houston, 46-30 | 11:41, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Emanuel Sharp knocks down a trey after Tennessee got to within 14. (Houston, 44-27 | 13:35, 2nd)

- J'Wan Roberts back on the court and is playing with a vengeance. Roberts, who sat out most of the first half in foul trouble, has two baskets, including a nifty move to the glass while being fouled. Houston remains in command. (Houston, 38-20 | 15:51, 2nd)

- Second-half action is now under way.

HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- LJ Cryer leads Houston with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Terrance Arceneaux came off the bench to add 8 points, making two 3-pointers.

- A tremendous defensive performance by Houston in the first half. Cougars hold Tennessee to 21.4% shooting in the first half (6-of-28), including 6.7% from 3-point range (1-of-15).

FIRST HALF

- Ja'Vier Francis is 2-of-2 coming off the bench for J'Wan Roberts, including a dunk. Culture, culture, culture. (Houston, 19-6 | 9:40, 1st)

- Tennessee has missed its last eight field goals and the Vols are now 1-of-12 from the field. Houston is 8-of-15. (Houston, 17-4 | 11:05, 1st)

- Houston now on an 11-2 run, capped by a nifty drive down the line and the finish from LJ Cryer. Cougars have had five different players hit field goals. (Houston, 15-4 | 11:37, 1st)

- Mylik Wilson is back on the court for Houston after sustaining a hard fall in Friday's game and not practicing on Saturday. (Houston, 11-4 | 13:08, 1st)

- J'Wan Roberts picked up his second foul and he is now on the bench. Ja'Vier Francis coming in to take his place. (Houston, 9-4 | 14:15, 1st)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer knocks down a triple, and good to see him get one to go down after struggling the other night vs. Purdue. Houston has made four of its first eight baskets. (Houston, 9-2 | 15:50, 1st)

- Joseph Tugler 2-for-2 with two baskets from the get-go for the Cougars. (Houston, 4-0 | 18:00, 1st)

PREGAME

- Today's Houston starting 5: The usual lineup, consisting of guards Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp and forwards Joseph Tugler and J'Wan Roberts.

- Cougar guard Mylik Wilson, who sustained a hard fall in the Purdue game, is warming up with the rest of the squad. His availability to play will be a game-time decision per coach Kelvin Sampson.

- Coming to you from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. A trip to the Final Four is on the line in the Midwest Region championship game as top-seeded Houston takes on second-seed Tennessee.

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Buck Ringgold
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