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NCAA officials make controversial call on Cooper Flagg amid Duke collapse vs. Houston

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•04/05/25•

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Cooper Flagg
© Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

In Saturday’s Final Four nightcap, Houston came all the way back to defeat Duke and advance to the national championship. It wasn’t without controversy, though, after a call on Cooper Flagg shifted things in a big way in the final seconds of the game.

Tyrese Proctor missed a free throw with 19 seconds left and Duke ahead by one point, 67-66. Flagg went for the rebound, but was called for an over-the-back foul – which sent J’Wan Roberts to the free throw line on the other end for a chance to take the lead.

Roberts made both shots, and after Flagg’s game-tying shot missed, Houston was able to seal the victory. The Cougars are heading to the national championship for the first time since 1984, and Duke was left searching for answers after a collapse in the final minute.

Duke appeared to be in full control during Saturday’s game. The Blue Devils led by as many as 14 points in the second half, and Kelvin Sampson took a big gamble by allowing them to play out a possession without fouling as time ticked away.

It paid off. Kon Knueppel’s layup attempt was blocked, and Emanuel Sharp drained a huge three-pointer on the other end to make it a three-point game. Sampson then called timeout to set the defense, and that set the stage for a chaotic final 30 seconds.

Mylik Wilson got a steal off a bad pass from Sion James, and Joseph Tugler got the offensive rebound before putting back the dunk to make it 67-66. Proctor then drew the foul on the other end and missed the free throw, which is when the controversy emerged.

That set the stage for Houston to complete the improbable comeback and get the 70-67 victory. The Cougars are now heading to the national championship for the first time since the Phi Slamma Jamma team led by Hakeem Olajuwon made it that far in 1984 – and, therefore, the first time under Sampson’s leadership.

Afterward, Jon Scheyer shared his reaction to Houston’s victory. He told CBS’ Tracy Wolfson he was still trying to process what had just unfolded, but he made sure to point out the plays the Cougars made to take control of the final minute.

“Well, it’s hard to process still,” Scheyer told Wolfson. “I thought our guys did an incredible job the whole game. I thought we had some good looks. Didn’t finish. You have to give Houston a ton of credit. And still, even with that, we had the lead with under a minute to go. I couldn’t be more proud – I’m not about to hang our head. This is part of it.

“You’ve got to handle the wins, and you’ve got to handle the losses, too. And in a moment like this, we were this close. We felt we were the best team. The best team tonight was Houston. Hats off to them.”