With 2.8 seconds on the clock in a 60-60 tie, Kelvin Sampson went to his play sheet to call “51.” Purdue covered the first one, but the second option was open, and it was a fitting one for Houston to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2022.
After Milos Uzan delivered an entry pass to Joseph Tugler, the junior got both of his feet in-bounds and laid in a go-ahead bucket with 0.9 seconds left to put the Cougars up, 62-60. A Braden Smith heave at the horn was off, Lucas Oil Stadium was mostly silenced, and the class of the Big 12 found a way in an instant classic Friday night in Indianapolis.
After Houston lost a 10-point lead due to Smith’s heroics and a Camden Heide game-tying triple with 35 seconds left, the Cougars had the ball with a…
