The Houston Cougars' fearsome defense helped keep Tennessee volunteers held back during Sunday's Elite Eight game.
The country's most stingy defense held the Vols to 15 points, earning the fewest points in the eight elite games since 1979. The 69-50 victory secured Houston's first trip to Final 4 since 2021.
The Cougars are currently seven times in the Final Four throughout the history of the program. The victory also extended the country's longest active winning streak to 17 games.
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The Houston Cougars will be on display after beating Tennessee volunteers in the Midwest Regional Finals in Indianapolis on Sunday. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Immagn image)
Houston's past two runs at the NCAA Men's Tournament have ended with the Sweet 16, but this time Coach Kelvin Sampson's team is still dancing and has a chance to win the program's first national title.
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The Cougars will face Duke in San Antonio on Saturday, two hours away from campus, just three hours drive away. The Cougars reached the national title game twice, losing to North Carolina in 1983 and losing to Georgetown in 1984 during their Pirislamajama era.
Houston Guard Emmanuel Sharp made four three-pointers, while Joseph Tagger assisted in the decisive basket against Purdue on Friday, but made nine rebounds.
Houston's J'wan Roberts (13) celebrates the final minutes of his victory over Tennessee in the elite eighth round of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament on Sunday in Indianapolis. (AP photo/Michael Conroy)
Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey scored 17 points as the second seed volunteers. Coach Rick Burns's team was also eliminated in last year's regional final.
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson will host the Midwest Regional Championship Trophy after beating Tennessee in the elite eighth round of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament on Sunday. (AP Photo/AJ Must)
When the Vols had the opportunity to cut the deficit to single digits in the second half, the country's top three-point shooting team straightened three times beyond the arc, extending the margin to 17.
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Even in the second half, Tennessee struggled. The defense, which thoroughly stripped Kentucky in the previous round, did not get enough stops and improved the offense, but that wasn't enough.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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