1 week Ago By Austin American-Statesman
The Houston Cougars fell just short of a national title.After leading 31-28 at halftime, the Cougars fell to the Florida Gators 65-63 in the national title game. Houston held the lead late in the second half but couldn't hold on against talent Florida team.
Houston clinched a trip to the national championship in its Final Four game against Duke. The Cougars won 70-67 in the final seconds thanks to two clutch 3-point shots in the final seconds and an over-the-back foul call against Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Then came Monday's showdown in San Antonio, Texas.
In the national title game, Walter Clayton Jr. tied the game at 48 with 7:54 left with a layup and free throw for the tying three-point play. Houston clawed back with offensive drives to the basket.
But 18 points from Will Richard and 12 points from Alex Condon were too much for the Cougars to overcome. LJ Cryer had 19 points for Houston but no other Cougars reached double figures in scoring.Houston played in two national title games in 1983 against North Carolina State and in 1984 against Georgetown.
Those Cougar teams, affectionately called Phi Slama Jama, featured NBA Hall of Fame players Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible.
Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Houston vs Florida in Final Four: Cougars beat Gators in March Madness.
