The No.1-seeded University Houston Cougars’ NCAA Tournament second-round matchup against Texas A&M was everything March Madness symbolizes.
Crazy shots. Buzzer beater baskets. Head-scratching decisions.
Somehow the Cougars survived them all, prevailing in a wild 100-95 win over the ninth-seeded Aggies upset bid late Sunday night. The Cougars advance to their fifth-consecutive Sweet 16 round, where the fourth-seeded Duke Blue Devils await Friday night in Dallas.
“We’re very fortunate tonight to win. Texas A&M could’ve won that game,” Sampson said. “But only one team can advance. I’ve learned not to autopsy wins at this time of the year. So we move on.”
Reggie Chaney, a member of the Cougars’ 2021 Final Four team, who died last August at the age of 23 was very much on the minds and hearts of his former teammates. Chaney’s No.32 is attached to their jerseys, and Sampson asked his team at halftime, `What would No. 32 do in a game like this?’ with the Cougars in a fight with the Aggies.
We’re built for this,” said UH guard Jamal Shead, who led the way Sunday night with 21 points and 10 assists before fouling out. “I just miss my dog. On to the Sweet 16.”
“That was for big Reg,” Sampson said.
But it seemed like the Cougars might have been the first of the No.1 seeds to exit the tournament after Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia drained a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime.
Miraculously, the Cougars found a way to hold on and avoid an upset in overtime, even with four of their five starters fouling out of the game.
“The last two minutes was Murphy’s Law,” Sampson said. “We kept missing some free throws. The ball was bouncing all over the place. They didn’t miss a three. And they didn’t make an easy one. They were all hard threes.”
Emanuel Sharp led Houston with 30 points before fouling out in OT, another of the four Cougars to exit early due to foul trouble.
