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

The Houston Cougars dominated the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament. They had 22 wins and only one loss in all of conference play. They have also