The top-seeded Houston Cougars have advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament after a nail-biting 81-76 win over the eighth-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs, coached by Mark Few, on Saturday night at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
This victory sends Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars forward in this year’s March Madness, while the Bulldogs head back to Spokane.
Despite Gonzaga’s early exit from the tournament, Sampson expressed his admiration for Few and the program.
“There’s no one I respect more than Mark Few and no basketball program I hold in higher regard than Gonzaga,” Sampson stated during a postgame interview on the court.
Despite Gonzaga being the lower-seeded team, Sampson didn’t underestimate a squad led by Few, who has significant experience in making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga had achieved an impressive nine consecutive Sweet 16 appearances until Houston put an end to that streak with a narrow victory.
The Bulldogs narrowed the gap to just one point after Khalif Battle made two free throws with only 21 seconds remaining in regulation. However, Houston managed to secure the win, thanks in part to some crucial free throws from LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan. Cryer was a standout for the Cougars, scoring 30 points thanks to six three-pointers, while J’Wan Roberts contributed 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Houston’s next challenge will come against the fourth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers on Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
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