Houston completes epic comeback in Final Four classic against Duke despite Cooper Flagg's big game

Reminder - we are inactive successful March Madness.

Houston completed a valiant comeback against Duke to gain their travel to the nationalist title against Florida.

Cooper Flagg, the imaginable No. 1 prime successful the NBA Draft if helium decided to leave, missed a imaginable game-winning changeable with little than 8 seconds left, and the Cougars escaped with a 70-67 win.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Duke Blue Devils guardant Cooper Flagg (2) and Duke Blue Devils defender Tyrese Proctor (5) respond against the Houston Cougars successful the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament astatine the Alamodome.  (Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images)

Duke led by arsenic galore arsenic 12 successful the archetypal half, but Houston was capable to chopped it to six, arsenic neither squad got it rather going offensively.

But the 2nd fractional was each Duke aboriginal on. As the Blue Devils got retired to a game-high 14-point lead, Houston had a span wherever they missed 7 of their 8 shots.

After that, though, Houston went connected an 10-0 tally to chopped it backmost down to six with conscionable nether 5 minutes to go, arsenic Dke went connected a seven-plus-minute agelong of not hitting a shot. But, the Wooden Award victor Flagg drained a 3 with conscionable implicit 3 minutes to spell to marque it a nine-point game.

J'Wan Roberts #13 and Mylik Wilson #8 of the Houston Cougars respond during the 2nd fractional successful the Final Four crippled of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils astatine the Alamodome connected April 05, 2025 successful San Antonio, Texas.  (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

FORMER NBA STAR WHO WENT FIRST OVERALL SAYS COOPER FLAGG SHOULD RETURN TO DUKE

The Cougars were not out, though - successful fact, they went connected an 11-1 implicit the last 1:14 to extremity it.

Houston's Emanuel Sharp knocked down a 3 with 32.4 seconds near to chopped their shortage to 3 points. Then, disconnected the inbound, Duke turned the shot over, and Houston got a putback dunk to marque it a one-point game.

Duke's Tyrese Proctor past missed a one-and-one, and an over-the-back foul connected Flagg brought Houston to the line. J'Wan Roberts deed some to instrumentality the lead.

After Flagg missed a changeable that would person fixed Duke a pb with little than 10 seconds left, Duke fouled, and L.J. Cryer knocked down some escaped throws to spell up 3 points. Duke missed a last changeable astatine the buzzer that would person sent them to overtime, sending Duke to the nationalist rubric game.

Houston scored 8 points successful the last 33 seconds to Duke's zero to implicit the chaotic comeback.

Duke Blue Devils defender Sion James (14) grabs a rebound against Houston Cougars defender Terrance Arceneaux (23) during the 2nd fractional successful the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament astatine Alamodome.  (Scott Wachter-Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The 2 teams shared the longest winning streaks successful the NCAA entering the contention - Houston's is present astatine 18, portion Duke's was snapped astatine 15.

Flagg finished with a game-high 27 points, but his imaginable past changeable successful a Duke azygous volition beryllium 1 he'd similar to soon forget.

Houston faces Florida connected Friday nighttime for the nationalist title.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.