On Saturday night, two of the best teams in men’s college basketball throughout the 2024-25 season faced off, with the winner taking an important step closer to a national championship and the other having to endure a long trip home with the emotional scars of an unfulfilled dream.
The results of that game, however, may not have been the one fans expected.
Watch Duke vs Houston Final Four live with Fubo (free trial)
No. 1 seed Duke, a favorite to win the national championship, was shocked by fellow No. 1 seed Houston Saturday night in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Kelvin Sampson-led Cougars went on an 11-1 run to end the game, and held the Blue Devils to a single made field goal in the final 10:30 of the game, to upend Cooper Flagg and Co. 70-67.
Flagg finished with a game-high 67 points, but couldn’t sink a bucket on the Blue Devils’ penultimate possession to win the game. He had seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks to end what has been a fantastic season — and, likely, career — at Duke. L.J. Cryer finished with 26 points for Houston, adding five rebounds, an assist and a steal in the win.
Check out the full score, updates, highlights and more from Houston’s win vs. Duke in the 2025 Final Four:
Duke vs Houston Final Four score
This section will be updated throughout the game.
Cooper Flagg misses game-winning shot
Flagg was the obvious choice for a potential game-winning shot for Duke, but his attempt bounced off the rim and sent Houston to the line. The Cougars sunk both free throws to take a 70-67 lead, and the Blue Devils’ Hail Mary 3-point attempt went well over the backboard to secure Houston’s win.
Cooper Flagg points today
Late in the second half, Flagg has 27 points, along with seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals.
Kon Knueppel points today
Late in the second half, Knueppel has 16 points.
Houston storms back to take late lead
A game that appeared to be over is now very much alive. Houston is on a 13-3 run, allowing it to take a 68-67 lead over Duke with 17.2 seconds left after a pair of free throws from J’Wan Roberts. Blue Devils have the ball with a chance to take the lead and, potentially, win the game.
Houston closing in late
Duke appeared to be pulling away in the second half, but the Cougars have fought back, getting with four, 59-55, at the final media timeout of the game. L.J. Cryer is leading the way for Houston with a game-high 24 points while Cooper Flagg has a team-high 22 points for the Blue Devils.
Duke leads Houston at halftime
The Blue Devils led by as many as 12 in the first half and largely had their way against the Cougars in the first half, but Duke goes into halftime leading by six, 34-28, after a late flurry of 3-pointers from Houston. Kon Knueppel has a team-high 12 points for Duke while making four of his six shots, including two of his three 3-pointers. LJ Cryer is doing much of the work for the Cougars, with 12 points while nobody else on his team has more than five.
Interestingly, Houston is 5 of 11 from 3 (45.5%), but just 4 of 18 (22.2%) from inside the arc. The Cougars are 6-1 this season when trailing at halftime, the best mark in the country.
Duke pulling away late in first half
The Blue Devils are starting to create some much-needed cushion with an offensively erratic Houston team, using an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to 11 points. Kon Knueppel is leading the way with 12 points.
Duke vs Houston predictions
Here’s a rundown of expert predictions for Duke vs. Houston in the Final Four:
Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY: Duke 71, Houston 58
Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY: Houston 63, Duke 61
Erick Smith, USA TODAY: Duke 70, Houston 66
Eddie Timanus, USA TODAY: Duke 84, Houston 75
Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Network: Houston 75, Duke 71
Final Four scores
Here’s a look at how Saturday’s Final Four games went:
No. 1 seed Florida 79, No. 1 seed Auburn 73
No. 1 seed Duke vs. No. 1 seed Houston
Houston basketball roster
Duke basketball roster
Cooper Flagg stats
Flagg has lived up to the immense hype that greeted him entering the college game. On his way to winning national player of the year, the Duke freshman enters the Final Four averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range.
Kon Knueppel stats
While much of the attention on Duke has understandably keyed in on another freshman — Flagg — Kon Knueppel has been stellar for much of the 2024-25 season, playing a critical role in helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. In his first and likely only college season, Knueppel enters Saturday’s game vs. Houston averaging 14.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and one steal per game while shooting 47.7% from the field and 40.1% from 3-point range.
Kon Knueppel height
Knueppel is listed at 6-foot-7 on Duke’s official roster.
J’Wan Roberts stats
Houston big man J’Wan Roberts has been a critical piece for the Cougars this season, averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 50.5% from the field.
Number 9 Duke basketball
Khaman Maluach is No. 9 on Duke’s roster. The 7-foot-2 freshman center is a projected top-10 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Born in war-torn South Sudan and raised as a refugee in Uganda, Maluach began playing basketball as a teenager and morphed into a five-star recruit who signed with the Blue Devils.
Mike Krzyzewski age
The legendary former Duke coach, who is in attendance in San Antonio to watch the program he led for 42 seasons, is 78 years old. He retired after the 2021-22 season, when he was 75 years old. Jon Scheyer, his successor and former player, took over the Blue Devils when he was just 34 years old — one year older than Coach K was when he was hired by Duke in 1980.
Duke vs Houston location
The Blue Devils and Cougars will be facing off at the Alamodome in San Antonio, the site of the 2025 Final Four. The venue is about 200 miles from Houston’s campus, making it the closest school of the four teams competing in the national semifinals.
Duke vs Houston live stream
Streaming options for Duke’s Final Four game against Houston include March Madness Live and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
When is NCAA championship? Time, date
The 2025 NCAA men’s basketball championship will be held on Monday, April 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:50 p.m. ET.
Duke vs Houston odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, April 5
Spread: Duke (-4.5)
Over/under: 136.5
Moneyline: Duke -250 | Houston +200
National championship odds
Here are the championship odds of the four remaining teams, which Duke leads the way on at time of publish.
Duke: -110
Auburn: +300
Houston: +450
Florida: +600
What channel is Duke vs Houston on today?
TV channel: CBS
Live stream: March Madness Live, Fubo (free trial)
The Final Four game between the Blue Devils and Cougars will air on CBS. Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst) and Grant Hill (analyst) will be on the call while Tracy Wolfson serves as the sideline reporter.
Streaming options for the game include March Madness Live and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Duke vs Houston start time
Date: Saturday, April 5
Start time: 8:48 p.m.
The Blue Devils and Cougars are scheduled to tip off at 8:49 p.m. ET, though that could get pushed back depending on when the preceding Florida vs. Auburn game ends.
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