Duke and Cooper Flagg react after devastating Final Four loss

Cougars Stun Blue Devils in Final Four Thriller, Crushing National Championship Dreams

SAN ANTONIO — Competing in the Final Four and holding a commanding double-digit lead in the second half, Duke appeared poised to advance to the national championship game, fulfilling season-long aspirations. However, an unforeseen collapse unfolded, etching itself into history as a painful defeat.

Unraveling in the Final Minutes

Leading by 14 points with 8 1/2 minutes remaining, the Blue Devils experienced an improbable fade down the stretch. Houston’s relentless determination proved to be their undoing, as they clawed back into a contest that seemed destined to slip away.

The momentum shifted due to a combination of factors: missed shot attempts, critical errors, and a sudden inability to secure defensive stops. Even the brilliance of their standout player, Cooper Flagg, the Associated Press national player of the year, couldn’t rescue Duke. His contested shot in the waning moments, with the team facing an unexpected deficit, fell short.

Heartbreak at the Final Horn

As the final buzzer sounded, Houston completed a stunning comeback, scoring the game’s final nine points in the last 33 seconds to secure a 70-67 victory in the second semifinal on Saturday night.

“It’s heartbreaking, incredibly disappointing,” lamented Jon Scheyer, Duke’s third-year coach. “There’s immense pain associated with this. That’s the nature of the tournament.”

From Jubilation to Disbelief

The abruptness of the loss sent shockwaves through the Alamodome, as the jubilation of Houston’s victory collided with the disbelief of Duke’s sudden defeat. Duke’s pursuit of their sixth NCAA title ended abruptly, as did Scheyer’s first Final Four journey as head coach – a season that had begun to feel like a coronation after succeeding the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.

“It was an incredible season,” Flagg stated, fighting back tears after a remarkable 27-point performance. “Incredible people, incredible relationships that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. It didn’t conclude as we desired, but it was still an exceptional year.”

Final Possession Frustration

Duke (35-4) transitioned from controlling the game to a desperate final possession. LJ Cryer’s two free throws with 3.7 seconds left left Duke with a daunting task: Sion James attempting a full-court heave for a game-tying three-pointer with no timeouts remaining.

A deflection during the inbound play forced a scramble, and the ball landed in Tyrese Proctor’s hands. With no time left, Proctor could only fling the ball towards the basket.

The ball missed the rim entirely as the horn echoed through the arena.

James collapsed to the court in anguish, quickly realizing he had to rise as Houston’s bench stormed the court to celebrate their stunning triumph.

J’Wan Roberts, Houston’s veteran forward, erupted in joyous screams directed towards Cougars fans near the court, emphatically displaying his jersey.

Stunned Silence for Duke

As Houston erupted in celebration, a visibly dejected Flagg walked off the court, head down, towards the tunnel leading to the locker room. His teammates followed, their faces etched with disbelief and freshman Khaman Maluach visibly in tears.

Adding to the sting, Duke’s path to their locker room was through the densest section of Houston fans in the arena.

Duke players navigated a sea of red-clad fans, enduring taunts and the flashing lights of phones capturing their painful exit.

Few anticipated that Duke, a team renowned for ranking among KenPom’s top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency, would find themselves in such a devastating position.

Hiccups and Missed Opportunities

However, subtle errors accumulated against a resilient Houston team that refused to yield. A critical sequence unfolded when Proctor missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with Duke clinging to a one-point lead. Then, Flagg fouled Roberts while attempting to box him out.

Roberts, a reliable 62.5% free-throw shooter, calmly sank both shots with 19.6 seconds left, granting Houston a 68-67 advantage.

Following a timeout, Flagg received the ball, poised to attack Roberts. The highly touted forward, projected as the potential No. 1 NBA draft pick, drove left, then attempted a fadeaway jumper over Roberts’ outstretched arm in the lane.

The shot fell short, bouncing off the front of the rim and into Houston’s possession, setting the stage for Cryer’s final free throws, capping his impressive 26-point performance.

Beyond a Single Shot

“I trust Cooper 100 times out of 100 times,” James affirmed. “I had an opportunity to secure the offensive rebound but couldn’t get there in time.”

However, the loss transcended a single missed shot, as Flagg alluded to in the postgame press conference. A defensive miscommunication on a switch between Flagg and James granted Emanuel Sharp sufficient space to sink a crucial three-pointer, narrowing Houston’s deficit to 67-64 with 32.4 seconds left.

On the subsequent inbounds play, James attempted to lob the ball to Flagg, defended by the smaller 6-2 Mylik Wilson amidst Houston’s full-court press.

Wilson deflected the pass, creating a turnover, and Joseph Tugler’s dunk following a missed shot quickly narrowed the margin to 67-66.

Seeds of Defeat Planted Earlier

The seeds of Duke’s collapse were sown even earlier. With a 59-45 lead and 8:17 remaining, Duke had a chance to solidify their command of the game. Instead, Houston unleashed a 10-0 run, ignited by a Cryer three-pointer, altering the trajectory of the closing minutes.

This defensive lapse troubled Scheyer more than Duke’s offensive struggles in the final ten minutes. Houston amassed 42 second-half points, including 13 second-chance points after halftime, while Duke’s offense sputtered, managing just nine points and a single basket in the same span.

In a swift turn of events, what appeared to be a march towards a title transformed into a period of painful introspection—with lingering questions to ponder in the months ahead.

“Obviously, as a coach, I’m reflecting right now on what else I could’ve said or done to help our guys at the end there,” Scheyer admitted. “That’s the thing that haunts me the most.”