championship dreams came to a crushing end Saturday night as the Blue Devils fell to Houston 72-68 in the Final Four after a stunning late-game collapse.
Leading by 8 points with just under five minutes remaining, Duke appeared poised to punch its ticket to the national championship game. But a relentless Houston defense, combined with clutch shooting and critical turnovers by the Blue Devils, turned the tide in dramatic fashion.
Houston guard Jamal Sheppard ignited the comeback with back-to-back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to two. From there, the Cougars ramped up their defensive pressure, forcing three Duke turnovers in the final three minutes. A go-ahead jumper by senior forward Jalen Roberts with 28 seconds left gave Houston its first lead since the first half, and they never looked back.
“We just didn’t finish,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said postgame. “Give credit to Houston—they made plays when it counted, and we didn’t.”
Duke star freshman Malik Hart, who led the team with 21 points, missed a potential game-tying three with 7 seconds left. The Cougars sealed the win at the free-throw line, booking their first trip to the national championship game since 1984.
For Duke, the loss marks a bitter end to an otherwise strong tournament run. For Houston, it’s one step closer to a title and a chance to rewrite their storied basketball history.
