MEMPHIS — Houston received 100-95 in additional time in opposition to Texas A&M in one of many wildest video games of the NCAA Match to this point. Texas A&M rallied from a 10-point deficit with 1:24 remaining in regulation, which included a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Aggies ahead Andersson Garcia to ship the sport to additional time.
BUZZER BEATER TO FORCE OT 🚨🚨🚨#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mZSqICdiZR
— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 25, 2024
Houston held on within the additional interval regardless of 4 of 5 starters fouling out. Stroll-on Ryan Elvin was put within the recreation throughout additional time and went to the foul line, the place he made one in all two to present the Cougars a four-point lead within the closing seconds.
“When that (buzzer-beater) went in (to tie it), I’m certain most individuals’s thought course of was: ‘Houston screwed up, they’re going to lose now.’ That will have been the mistaken assumption as a result of our youngsters are constructed for that,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson stated.
Houston was forward by 13 factors with 3:33 remaining after guard Emanuel Sharp made a three-point jumper. However Texas A&M scored 9 free throws within the subsequent three minutes — 5 coming from guard Wade Taylor IV.
With 45 seconds left, ahead Solomon Washington made a layup to convey the Aggies inside three factors of tying the sport. Houston took a timeout, then missed 4 consecutive photographs earlier than Garcia’s buzzer-beater.
“Clearly it’s a shot that may go down in Texas A&M lore, however it was to tie, it wasn’t to win,” Aggies coach Buzz Williams stated.
Guard Tyrece Radford praised Garcia “for simply having the braveness to hit the open 3.”
Radford posted a double-double with 27 factors and 15 rebounds, and Taylor added 21 factors.
4 Cougars starters completed with double-digit factors, led by Sharp’s career-high 30. Houston shot 51.5 p.c from the sphere whereas Texas A&M was 38.2 p.c from the ground.
“My teammates trusted me tonight, particularly Jamal (Shead), at all times in search of me. And the shot was moving into at this time,” Sharp stated.
With the win, Houston advances to the Candy 16 and can face No. 4 seed Duke in Dallas on Friday.
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(Photograph: Petre Thomas / USA At present)
