Houston’s journey to the NCAA National Final was nothing short of remarkable, but their defeat to Florida in a heart-wrenching 65-63 loss has left many, including coach Kelvin Sampson, struggling to comprehend what went wrong. Nearly an hour after the game, Sampson stood in front of a black curtain at the Alamodome, facing a sea of television lights that illuminated his deep disappointment. The 69-year-old coach, with his close-cropped hair more salt than pepper, expressed his frustration at Houston’s inability to secure the championship despite being built for such a moment.
Sampson’s team had shown immense character and toughness throughout the tournament, but their performance in the final minute of the title game was a stark contrast to their earlier successes. Houston squandered a 12-point lead in the second half and ended the game with four consecutive turnovers, a sequence that ultimately cost them the championship. “There’s a lot of teams that are not built for six straight wins,” Sampson said, referring to the number of victories needed to win the NCAA tournament. “This team was, this team had the character and the toughness and the leadership. This team was built to win this tournament, and that’s why it’s so disappointing.”
The defeat was especially painful given Houston’s stunning comeback win over Duke in the national semifinal, where they scored the game’s last nine points in just 33 seconds. On Monday night, however, the Cougars wilted in the final minute, failing to get a shot off on their last three possessions. Florida’s first lead in the second half came with only 46 seconds remaining, and Sampson described the Cougars’ inability to get a shot off on their final two possessions as “incomprehensible.” Star guard Emanuel Sharp’s back-to-back turnovers in the closing moments were particularly devastating, as they sealed Florida’s victory and left the Houston locker room in a state of devastation.
Sharp’s pain was palpable as he was escorted away from the media by teammate Milos Uzan, his head covered with a towel and tears streaming down his face. “That’s me, bro,” Sharp was overheard saying, before letting out an expletive. The locker room was a mirror image of the devastation Houston had wrought just two nights earlier, with players like Joseph Tugler summing up the collective heartbreak: “That broke everybody’s heart.” Sharp’s turnovers were critical, but Sampson emphasized the importance of Sharp’s overall performance, particularly his gritty defense on Florida’s Walter Clayton.
Despite the loss, Sampson praised Sharp’s efforts and focused on the positives. “I told him I loved him,” Sampson said when asked what he told Sharp. “I told him I loved him, and I really focused on the job he did on Clayton. He did an awesome job on him. He made a couple reads that I’m sure he wish he’d had over, but we don’t get there without that kid.” Sharp’s defensive play was crucial, as Clayton finished with only 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting, taking more than 32 minutes to score a field goal. Sampson had hoped Sharp would have shot-faked and gotten into the paint, but instead, Clayton’s lunging contest froze Sharp, leading to a critical turnover.
The other miscues in the final moments included a turnover off an offensive rebound by Tugler and another on a baseline drive by L.J. Cryer, who essentially flipped the ball into Alex Condon’s chest. Cryer summed up the overall sentiment of missed opportunity: “It was definitely there for the taking.” A win would have marked Sampson’s 800th career victory and his first national title, likely securing his place in the Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Instead, he left the court in disbelief, with his daughter Lauren offering a hug in the tunnel. “I’m OK,” he told her.
As Houston’s assistant coaches sat in their locker room, staring into space, assistant Kellen Sampson, the coach’s son, reflected on the fickle nature of the tournament. “It’s a brutal, cruel guillotine,” he said. “When you get here, every team is so good and you don’t get here without a team that’s connected, resilient, tough. The margins are so razor-thin. We certainly did enough tonight to win. Florida did, as well, and they won.” The loss serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of sports, where even the most prepared and talented teams can fall short in the final moments.
