One Year Ago: Houston's Historic Final Four Comeback Over Duke
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It wasn't just a win. It was a moment that will forever live in the hearts and minds of the Houston Cougars fans for the rest of time. April 5th, 2025 will stand in history for the Houston Cougars basketball program.
This game officially put Houston as one of the premier college basketball programs in the country. The consistency in the NCAA Tournament has been visible since 2021, but this epic victory on a Final Four stage thrust Houston into the spotlight and gave the Cougars well deserved praise for what they have built. Houston won its first Final Four game since 1984.
Duke has been one of the biggest names in the sport. A blue-blood program. Everything was going their way in this through the first 32 minutes of the game. Cooper Flagg, who is now one of the best rookies in the NBA, was putting on a show as the Player of the Year. Kon Knueppel was drilling threes. Duke's size and talent looked to be too much for Houston to handle.
It seemed like the Blue Devils were on their way to another national championship appearance. Until Houston pulled off the impossible. As someone who was there covering the game, Houston winning at this point in the second half was not honestly even a thought.
The Cougars had achieved some remarkable accomplishments during the 2024-25 season. They were 34-4 entering the contest and won both the Big 12 regular season title in back-to-back fashion as well as the Big 12 tournament.
Houston had another crazy comeback against Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse earlier in the year, down six points in the last 15 seconds of overtime before a 3-pointer, a steal on the inbound, and another three tied it before the buzzer. The Cougars won in double overtime. To do something like that one time was impressive. Houston somehow did it again, and it was even more special.
One year ago today, Houston defeated Duke in one of the most improbable #MFinalFour comebacks of all time 🤯#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IVBlBbge9z
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 5, 2026
An All-Time Final Four Win
Houston took the lead early in the game for the first four minutes, but it was Duke the rest of the way in the first half. The Cougars trailed 34-28 at halftime and were down 12 at one point during the period.
While Houston's late run became historically famous, let's not forget the effort and 3-point shooting of L.J. Cryer. He kept UH in the game even when it seemed a long shot. Cryer scored a team-high 26 points and was an outstanding 6/9 from three.
Houston was down 14 points at 59-45 with 8:17 to go. Duke's win percentage was 98.5% at this point, according to ESPN. It was an astonishing 25-8 run for Houston the rest of the way to stun Duke. The defense was at its absolute best as the Blue Devils managed only one made field goal in the last 10 minutes of the game.
Duke went on a more than four-minute scoring drought, followed by just three points in the last three minutes. While Houston brought the lead to 59-55 with five minutes left, Duke responded with five straight points to go up 64-55 with three minutes to go.
Houston was eventually down 67-61 with 47 seconds to go. The Cougars went on a 9-0 run in that span to close the game out and win 70-67. Emanuel Sharp was a huge part of this effort. He scored six straight points, including going 4/4 from the free throw line that got it up to 67-61. Duke's win percentage was still 91.6%.
After a block by Joseph Tugler on Knueppel, Sharp quickly pulled up for a step-back three and drained it with 32 seconds left, which cut the lead down to 67-64. The massive turn of events followed.
Houston has been known for its tight inbound defense, and the Cougars forced the all-important steal and turnover off the inbound. Mylik Wilson ran back and took a 3-pointer. He missed, but Tugler was there for a ferocious put-back dunk. The lead was suddenly just one point at 67-66.
Duke's Tyrese Proctor then missed a free throw and while J'Wan Roberts went to get the rebound, he was fouled by Flagg. It was the biggest moment of the game as Roberts, just a 63% free throw shooter, went to the line for a one-and-one. He stepped up and knocked down both shots in clutch fashion as Houston took its first lead at 68-67 since the 15-minute mark of the first half.
Roberts then played incredible defense on Flagg as he missed the jumper. Houston got the rebound and Cryer made both of his shots. Duke's one final heave was no good as the buzzer sounded. It was straight jubilation and wild celebration for Houston. The Cougars pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in Final Four and NCAA Tournament history.
It shows the potential of Houston under coach Kelvin Sampson. Houston outscored Duke 42-33 in the second half. Sharp added 16 points while Roberts had a double-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. Flagg put up 27, and Knueppel had 11.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.