Duke. Houston.
Purdue. Texas Tech.
They’re feeling a sure approach nationwide champion Florida can’t relate to — unable to sense the identical emotional agony of nearly that makes the NCAA Event a one-of-a-kind thrill trip.
Texas Tech led Florida 75–66 late within the West Area last in San Francisco however missed free throws and the lethal offensive onslaught of Walter Clayton Jr. made the Gators winners within the Bay.
Purdue had a “house” crowd in Indianapolis able to explode with euphoria with treasured ticks left within the Candy 16 earlier than Houston’s misdirection inbounds play caught the Boilermakers off guard and despatched the Cougars to the Elite Eight. They scored a 19-point win over No. 2 seed Tennessee to win the Midwest Area.
However Houston additionally saved some salt for Duke, champions of the East Area and nationwide title favorites getting into the Remaining 4. The Cougars reached the nationwide title sport with a storied comeback for the ages in San Antonio, erasing a double-digit deficit with lockdown protection that restricted the Blue Devils to at least one subject aim within the last 10 minutes, 30 seconds on Saturday.
Like Texas Tech — the final staff to beat Houston earlier than Monday — the Cougars had Florida useless to rights. Up double digits Monday night time, Houston coughed up the lead and tarnished a season with a fifth and most painful defeat.
As coach Kelvin Sampson lamented late Monday, the Cougars did every little thing they needed to do — besides crucial half: ending.
“I instructed our guys after the sport to be dissatisfied you misplaced, however don’t be dissatisfied in your effort. Defending Florida is tough,” Sampson stated. “We guarded ’em. We held that staff to 65 factors. Thought if we held Duke to below 70, we’d have an excellent probability to win. I felt like if we held Florida below 70, we’d have an excellent probability to win.
“Saturday we discovered a technique to win. Tonight possibly not a lot.”
One widespread denominator within the painful losses: free throws. The stripe was very important in sinking Texas Tech’s upset bid of Florida. It helped Houston shock Duke and maintain off Purdue and Gonzaga.
Simply when Clayton appeared to have the physique language of a scorer able to play decoy the remainder of the night time, Houston handed him a free (throw) move on a pair of and-1 finishes, and he led Florida’s comeback by making the freebies. The Gators made 15 of 19 free throws within the second half.
“In all probability put him on the road somewhat an excessive amount of, they usually made their free throws,” Sampson stated.
Houston had each probability to put in writing its personal championship ending. The Cougars had been within the bonus for greater than two-thirds of the second half however let the benefit go unclaimed. Houston missed one-third of its 12 second-half free throws and hit simply 6 of 25 from 3-point vary for the sport.
With an opportunity to place Houston up two with 2:05 left, after Joseph Tugler made the primary foul shot, he missed the second. Florida responded with a pair of free throws from Alijah Martin with 46 seconds left, and the second of two from Denzel Aberdeen gave the Gators a 65–63 lead. However Houston’s final possession ended because the earlier three had — with a turnover that sealed the Cougars’ destiny.
“They made another play than we did tonight,” Sampson stated.
And eight extra free throws.