The Duke basketball season is over.
How? Everyone is still trying to figure that out.
The Blue Devils collapsed in late in the second half against Houston and lost, 70-67.
Jon Scheyer’s team led by six with under a minute to go. Its lead was a large as 14 points with 8:15 to play, but none of it mattered as the Cougars finished the game on a 9-0 run and advanced to Monday’s National Championship game to play Florida.
Sion James turned the ball over with less than 30 seconds remaining and Duke leading by three, 67-64. It led to an immediate layup by Houston with 25 seconds left.
Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a 1-and-1 in which Cooper Flagg was called for an over the back on the rebounds and J’Wan Roberts made both free throws to give Houston the lead by one, 68-67.
Flagg missed a fadeaway in the lane on the next possession as LJ Cryer pushed the lead to three and Proctor’s 3-point prayer wasn’t answered.
Duke didn’t make a field goal for the final 10:30 of the game. Given the stakes it was one of the biggest collapses in college basketball history.
Flagg looked like he was going to carry the Blue Devils to the finish line with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. His 3-pointer with 3:03 remaining after Houston had made a four-point game only two minutes earlier seemed like the biggest shot of the night, pushing the lead to nine.
Tyrese Proctor made two clutch free throws on the previous possession.
Emanual Sharpe cut it to a one possession game with a 3-pointer with 32.4 seconds left.
The Cougars were 10-for-22 from 3-point range and held Duke to 37.5-percent shooting in the second half and erased a six-point halftime deficit despite the Blue Devils shooting 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
Cryer finished with 26 points for the Cougars.