Houston smothers Tennessee in Elite Eight: Cougars ride into Final Four on nation’s longest win streak

No. 1 seed Houston is headed to the Final Four for the second time in the past five seasons after imposing its will on No. 2 seed Tennessee for a 69-50 win in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Cougars used a masterful defensive effort to build a 22-point first half lead and then held on late for their 17th consecutive victory.

Tennessee missed its first 14 shots from 3-point range while digging a deep hole against the Cougars’ long and athletic defensive attack. The Volunteers fought back to narrow their deficit to 10 points with under six minutes left, but Houston’s veteran lineup weathered the storm, thanks largely to a late barrage of 3-pointers from Emanuel Sharp. 

The outcome sets up a blockbuster Final Four showdown between Houston and fellow No. 1 seed Duke next Saturday at the Final Four in San Antonio. The Blue Devils and their freshman-oriented lineup haven’t been tested by a team with Houston’s physicality and grit.

At age 69, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson is one of the most accomplished and respected coaches in the sport. The only blank spot left on his resume is a national title. Getting through a stacked Final Four will be a brutal challenge. But despite an underwhelming second-half performance from Houston, the Cougars offered a loud reminder of their championship potential.

After winning the outright Big 12 title by four games and cruising to the league’s tournament championship, Houston will head to San Antonio with the nation’s longest active winning streak and plenty of evidence to suggest it will play second-fiddle to no one at the Final Four.

Quick hitters

• Houston: 11th game this season allowing 50 points or fewer (second-most in Big 12 history behind 2023-24 Houston, 12)
• Houston: 23rd game allowing 50 points or fewer in past two seasons (more than any other two Division I teams combined)
• Houston: Most Final Four appearances without a national title (seven). 
• Tennessee: Fewest first-half points in Elite Eight history (15). Fewest first-half points by a top-two seed in NCAA tournament history.