Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021.

Houston jumped to a big lead by limiting Tennessee, and the Cougars cruised past the Volunteers to advance to their Final Four since 2021.

The No. 1 Cougars beat the No. 2 Volunteers, 69-50, in the Elite Eight on Sunday after amassing a 34-15 halftime lead. Tennessee’s fourth basket of the game came on its 23rd shot attempt. And that shot by Jordan Gainey simply cut a 21-point lead into a 29-10 advantage for Houston with 3:37 to play before the break.

With wins by Houston and Auburn on Sunday, next weekend’s Final Four will have all four No. 1 seeds for the second time in NCAA Tournament history.

Everybody knows the Houston Cougars play great defense. Turns out, they also drain 3-pointers when it matters most.

UH reached the Final Four for the first time since 2021. The Cougars will face Duke, a five-time national champion, on Saturday in San Antonio.

In a college basketball era where faster, higher-scoring games seem to be all the rage, this Final Four seems to be all about the defense.

Houston's relentless, harassing defense had Tennessee's shooters dancing around. Now, the Cougars are two-stepping it back to Texas. L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points, Emanuel Sharp scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and the nation's stingiest defense delivered a historic NCAA Tournament performance,

Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021, with L.J. Cryer scoring 17 points in