SAN ANTONIO — Duke basketball fell apart down the stretch in a 70-67 season-ending loss to Houston at the Final Four in a national semifinal inside the Alamodome.
The Blue Devils saw a 14-point lead evaporate in the final 8:17 as the Cougars closed the game with a 25-8 run. Houston (35-4) scored the final nine points to take down Cooper Flagg and Duke (35-4), which had its 15-game winning streak snapped. The Cougars capped the comeback with a 15-3 run in the final 2:05.
Duke didn't make a shot in the final 3:03, meaning their decade-long drought of national championships will carry into the 2025-26 season.
Duke was outscored 42-33 in the second half of its Final Four loss to Houston.
Cooper Flagg stats vs Houston in Final Four
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, getting to his spots against a Houston defense known for keeping players from getting to their spots. Flagg drained a 3-pointer to extend Duke's lead before swatting a shot out of bounds on the following defensive possession.
But with a chance to give Duke the lead in the final seconds, he missed the shot with eight seconds left and Houston made free throws to close the deal.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke vs Houston in March Madness: Cooper Flagg, Blue Devils lose late
