In a stunning NCAA Tournament semifinal Saturday night, the Houston Cougars pulled off a dramatic comeback against Duke, erasing a double-digit second-half deficit to secure a 70-67 win and advance to the national championship game.
Trailing 59-45 with just over eight minutes remaining, Houston looked outmatched. Even with only 33 seconds on the clock, Duke held a 67-61 advantage. But the Cougars weren’t ready to give in. With fierce defense and clutch scoring, they stormed back to outscore Duke 9-0 in the final seconds and seal the victory.
After the game, head coach Kelvin Sampson shared his thoughts with CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson while surrounded by his jubilant team.
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“You don’t lose as long as you keep fighting,” Sampson said. “Once you give up, that’s when you’ve truly lost. We stayed composed. We’d been in tight spots before. It wasn’t like we were getting blown out—we just needed to chip away and put pressure on them. And that’s exactly what we did.”
Sampson credited his players and faith for the win. “This is all about God and the incredible young men I’m honored to coach. I’m truly blessed.”
He also took the opportunity to defend his team’s strength and the competitiveness of the Big 12 Conference.
“There’s always talk about Duke—and rightfully so. Jon Scheyer is a terrific coach, and Duke is a fantastic program,” Sampson said. “But don’t underestimate us. Don’t sleep on Houston. We didn’t get to 34-4 by playing in some cupcake league. We went 19-1 in the Big 12, and that battle-tested us for moments like this.”
Sampson gave a nod to Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and his fellow coaches, highlighting the level of competition in the conference—a relevant point, especially after the selection controversy involving ACC and Big 12 teams. North Carolina received a tournament spot many felt should have gone to Big 12’s West Virginia.
With Saturday’s win, Houston not only made a statement about its own resilience but also about the strength of its conference. And Sampson’s message was clear—this Cougar squad earned every bit of their success, and they’re not done yet.