For 30 minutes on Saturday, Duke looked well on its way to the national title game and a chance to cap Cooper Flagg's historic freshman season with a championship.
But Houston had other ideas. It reeled off a 10-0 run late in the second half to cut a 59-45 deficit to four points. Houston then ended the game with a 15-3 flurry to secure a 70-67 stunner and advance to Monday's national title game against Florida.
Frantic finish sends Houston to national title game
Duke appeared to be in control with a 67-61 lead and possession of the ball with 1:14 remaining. But a missed Kon Knueppel layup led to an Emmanuel Sharp 3-pointer on the other end that cut Duke's lead to 67-64 with 33 seconds left.
IT’S A ONE POSSESSION GAME 👀 pic.twitter.com/ftAVDBeJS2
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 6, 2025
Houston then forced a turnover on an inbounds pass under its basket, leading to a Joseph Tugler put-back dunk that cut Duke's lead to 67-66.
INSANE FINISH IN THE WORKS IN SAN ANTONIO!
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 6, 2025
HOUSTON NOW HAS THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/lEBkh7Qe4u
Duke's Tyrese Proctor then missed the front end of a one-and-one on the other end, and Flagg got whistled for a loose ball foul on the rebound, sending J'Wan Roberts to the free throw line with a chance to take the lead. Roberts hit both shots to give Houston a 68-67 lead with 19.6 remaining, extending Houston's run to 13-3.
🤯🤯🤯#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/w9pDCcb7Dx
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 6, 2025
Flagg had a look at a go-ahead jumper on Duke's next possession. But it bounced off the front of the rim. Mylik Wilson secured the rebound for Houston. Duke then fouled L.J. Cryer with 3.7 seconds remaining, and Cryer hit both free throws on the other end to ice the win.
Proctor had a look a a desperation heave after Cryer's free throws. But it sailed over the backboard as the final buzzer sounded.
In the end, Duke made just one field goal in the game's final 10:31. Flagg hit a jumper at the 10:31 mark to extend Duke's lead to 58-45. His 3-pointer with 3:03 remaining temporarily stunted the Houston rally for a 64-55 Duke advantage. But Duke ultimately couldn't find enough offense down the stretch against the nation's best defense.
