The Duke Blue Devils will go yet another year without a title after their heartbreaking loss to the Houston Cougars on Saturday, 70-67.

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The Blue Devils suffered a tough loss to Houston in a game in which they led for the majority of it. The final minute for the Blue Devils was one to forget; heck, the final 33 seconds was one to forget as Duke had a six-point lead that they saw dissipate in 15 seconds.

Duke may be one of the most celebrated programs in college basketball, but that admiration comes with just as much animosity. Following their tough loss, fans wasted no time heading to X to unleash a wave of roasts aimed at the Blue Devils.

The tide began to turn against Duke with just under 12 minutes remaining in the second half. After Cooper Flagg knocked down a pair of free throws at the 11:54 mark to give the Blue Devils a 56-42 lead, Houston stormed back with a relentless 28-11 run to complete a stunning rally and punch their ticket to the title game.

The Cougars leaned into the identity that defined their season—gritty defense, physicality, and dominant offensive rebounding—allowing them to generate second-chance opportunities and wear Duke down.

Houston capped the comeback with a thrilling 9-0 run in the final 33 seconds, highlighted by J’Wan Roberts’ clutch free throws with 19 seconds left to take the lead. Two more from L.J. Cryer, with 3.7 seconds on the clock, sealed the win.

Duke had a chance to answer, but Flagg’s turnaround jumper fell short. Proctor had a last-second heave for the tie but missed the mark as time expired.

Houston held Duke to 2-of-11 shooting from the field with under 12 minutes of game left. Duke also turned over the ball five times in that span, as they had only two turnovers before that.

It was a defeat that could go down as one of the toughest in the program’s storied history. Still, that’s the reality of sports—moments like these can either become a defining setback or a pivotal turning point that shapes the team’s future for years to come, especially with a young coach like Jon Scheyer at the helm.

While Duke’s loss was tough, Houston’s win was amazing. They now sit one win away from securing their first-ever NCAA title. Houston came up short in back-to-back seasons in 1983 and 1984. However, this time, they’ll look to reserve their fortunes on Monday against the Florida Gators.

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