In a thrilling NCAA Tournament matchup, No. 1 seed Houston held off eighth-seeded Gonzaga to win 81-76 and advance to the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive year. LJ Cryer led the way with 30 points, while J’Wan Roberts added 18 points. This win also ended Gonzaga’s streak of nine straight Sweet 16 appearances.
Despite trailing by nine points with just over 2 minutes left, Gonzaga staged a late comeback led by Graham Ike’s 27 points and Khalif Battle’s 17 points. However, Houston managed to hold on with Cryer hitting crucial free throws in the final seconds.
Both coaches, Kelvin Sampson of Houston and Mark Few of Gonzaga, praised each other’s teams in what was a hard-fought, high-quality basketball game. Many believed this matchup between two powerhouse programs would have been more fitting for a later round in the tournament.
Houston’s physical dominance and Cryer’s scoring in the first half helped them build a lead that they maintained throughout the game. Despite Gonzaga’s high-scoring offense, Houston’s defense proved to be a tough challenge for the Bulldogs.
The win sets up a regional semifinal matchup for Houston against No. 4 seed Purdue. Both teams will be looking to secure a spot in the Elite Eight as they continue their quest for a deep tournament run. The Cougars will hope to build on their impressive win over Gonzaga as they face another tough opponent in the next round.
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