Houston’s overtime victory over Texas A&M is a testament to the program’s struggles

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With 17 seconds left in overtime, with a three-point lead and a trip to the Sweet 16, Houston senior Ryan Elvin stepped to the foul line.

Elvin played a total of 60 minutes throughout the season, just about all of them in stoppage time. But head coach Kelvin Sampson was forced to send him to the scorer’s table seconds early when a fourth Cougars player picked up a foul on the field – All-America point guard and Big 12 Player of the Year Jamal Shead. Houston put the last player on the bench instead of their star and suddenly, immediately, after a pass from the side of the field, he became an open player, with a shot at the goal and a likelihood to determine the match.

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He missed the first one.

He did the second one.

A four-point lead was enough for Houston to hold on for Sunday’s 100-95 victory over Texas A&M in arguably the best game of the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, highlighted by its most unsuspecting heroes.

“I was shocked he missed one,” Shead said later. “He works just like us. And to be honest, he works harder than we do. He is a guy we trust and is a pillar of our culture.”

The victory advanced the No. 1 Cougars to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight postseason, where they’ll face No. 4 seed Duke in Dallas on Friday in the South Regional.

“I won’t lie and say I wasn’t nervous. I was pretty nervous,” said Elvin, who is now 4 of 6 on free throws this season. “It was a testament to the way we ran our program. We used everyone. (Biggest free throw) of my life, definitely. Through a long take.”

Elvin’s only shining moment was ending an amazing game with a stranger-than-fiction ending. Houston was in control for much of the evening and led throughout the second half, including a 10-point lead with 1:24 left in the game. But the No. 9 seed Aggies, a day removed from a 98-83 first-round victory over Nebraska, rallied in dramatic fashion, punctuated by a powerful three-pointer by forward Andersson Garcia to force overtime. Garcia made just 8 of 19 3-pointers this season and buried what coach Buzz Williams called “a shot that can go down in Texas A&M lore.”

Houston outscored A&M 14-9 in overtime despite ending the game with 4 of its five starters fouling out. It was the first time since 1987 that a team won an NCAA Tournament game with such distinction.

“It’s a perfect record for Houston to have four players foul and still find a way to win,” Sampson said. “I’ve been doing this all these years and I don’t know if there’s a more satisfying victory than winning today. I can’t express how proud I am of this group. I’m just really, really proud of this team.

The foul forced the short-handed Cougars to sink into an already thin bench throughout the game, making it seem like an extra five minutes on the clock would spell disaster.

Instead, it was a gutsy victory for a program that had been defined by a culture of toughness under Sampson. Overall, this toughness is attributed to Houston’s physicality and defense. It was evident on Sunday – often too much, considering 28 fouls and 45 free throw attempts for A&M. But as the game wore on, Houston’s toughness became a reflection of his resilience.

“When that shot was made (to force overtime), I’m sure most people thought, ‘Houston screwed up, now they’re going to lose,’” Sampson said. “That would be a false assumption because our children are built for this.”

From the top to the bottom of the lineup, this was a team fighting for one another. And for many who aren’t any longer with them.


Now 68 and in his tenth season in Houston, Sampson describes himself as an “eternal tinkerer.” He comes to the office every single day to watch film, take notes from practice, or review scouting reports.

“When I come in on Sunday mornings, that’s my favorite time because there’s no one there,” Sampson said. “Except for one person: Ryan Elvin.”

Elvin joined the program in the same 2020 recruiting class as Shead and got here from Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock, near Austin, where he was a first-team all-district player in 6A, the largest classification in Texas. He’s the stereotypical player: the short, skinny kid at the end of the bench who plays great football but doesn’t have enough athleticism to play at the highest level of Division I football. Sampson and his team asked Elvin to proceed his profession regardless, recognizing in him the same work ethic and perseverance that has resulted in 125 wins (and counting) over the past 4 seasons, greater than every other D1 program in the country during that span.

Elvin was with the band for all 125 of them, although never in such a formidable way. With about two and a half minutes left in overtime and fouls piling up, Sharp, who had already fouled, checked out Elvin from the bench and told him to stay ready.

“Because you never know what’s going to happen,” Elvin said in the locker room after the game. “And Something Crazy Happened”

Elvin is a gym rat who shoots his own guns on Sunday mornings while Sampson tinkers. He runs extra sprints, drives his teammates to training, cooks dinner at his apartment and invites the team to his place.

“Ryan is a leader,” Cryer said later. “People may not see it because he’s not getting (playing time), but he went out there and showed he’s an important part of the team.”

It’s a part of the fight, each on and off the field, that has endeared Elvin to the team and its fans. In October 2021, just before the start of the second season, Elvin’s father, Scott, died after a long-term illness. Sampson described Scott as Ryan’s biggest fan.

“It was a great loss for our program,” Sampson said.

It wasn’t the just one. In recent weeks, Sampson has talked about the 4 key players this group needed to replace from last yr’s squad: Marcus Sasser, Jarace Walker, Tramon Marek and Reggie Chaney. Sasser and Walker were chosen in the first round of the NBA draft. Mark moved to Arkansas. Chaney graduated after three seasons with the Cougars, then died last August of an accidental overdose.

He was a 6-foot-8, tough-as-nails powerhouse – the quintessential Houston big man. Sampson used to call him his security blanket and tell Chaney, “Some days when it’s hot, I may not need you, but when there’s a slight chill in the air, it’s nice to know I even have that blanket there. “

The head coach has mentioned Chaney in postgame press conferences, and the team has worn the No. 32 patch on its uniforms this year, but Sampson said Sunday that he mentioned Chaney in the locker room at halftime for the first time this season.

“He mentioned Reggie and I got a little emotional,” Shead said. “This guy was a fighter. He played with broken ankles, knee stress fractures and back spasms. So when (the coach) asked, “What would Reggie do?” Reggie will fight. And I think we did that in the second half.


Jamal Shead was leading as usual for Houston – until he fouled out. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Shead has struggled all season. The senior team captain was not only the best player in Houston, but additionally one among the best in the country, leading a tight-knit Cougars team to the Big 12 regular-season championship for the first time in the conference and one other No. 1 seed in the tournament. He was critical again on Sunday, scoring when obligatory, collecting and dunking from behind, and organising teammates.

deeper

DEEPER

‘The one who stirs the pot’: Jamal Shead supports Houston’s hopes of constructing one other NCAA Tournament appearance

Several of his 10 assists went to Emanuel Sharp, a 6-foot-10 winger who had a career-high 30 points. Sharp’s role increased when Terrance Arceneaux tore his Achilles in December. J’Wan Roberts wears a bandage on his right hand after receiving seven stitches earlier this month and has been coping with a shin injury since the Big 12 tournament. He played 33 minutes and was the only starter not to foul despite scoring his fourth goal with almost eight minutes remaining regular playing time. Houston’s frontcourt was thinned out earlier this month when freshman forward Joseph Tugler broke his leg. In mid-February, backup defenseman Ramon Walker Jr. he tore his meniscus. Rookie center Ced Lath, whom Sampson had hoped to redshirt this season, was pressed into service due to all the injuries.

“We were just putting it together,” Sampson said.

Lath and Walker, who made the game-changing play with 70 seconds left, were on the court in overtime, together with Elvin. Walker left the court after his victory, his cheeks streaked with tears, fascinated by Chaney.

“The fact that we were able to get through this game and come out on top is a testament to how connected we are as a team,” he said. “From Jamal to Ryan, everyone is just ready to play.”

In the huddle before the start of overtime, Sampson reminded his players of the overtime victory on February 24 at Baylor Stadium, when the Bears got here back from a 15-point deficit, the crowd went wild, and the Cougars pulled away again in the overtime session. A team built on toughness – one which has stayed at the top of the rankings, rankings and metrics all season long, injuries and all – used that skill again on Sunday, buoyed by each themselves and people already not with them. Thanks to this, they’ll play one other match.

The challenges don’t end. A Duke team that scored 93 points in a second-round victory over James Madison and made 14 of 28 three-point shots awaits in Dallas, where the Coogs can have not less than the home advantage. However, one other Final Four appearance like the 2021 program would require several more concerted efforts steeped in culture.

“Survive and advance” is a popular saying this time of yr. Houston survived this Sunday.

Rome
Romehttps://globalcmd.com/
Rome: Visionary Founder of the GlobalCommand Ecosystem (GlobalCmd.com | GLCND.com | GlobalCmd A.I.) Rome is the innovative mind behind the GlobalCommand Ecosystem, a dynamic suite of platforms designed to revolutionize productivity for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small business owners, and forward-thinking individuals. Through his visionary leadership, Rome has developed tools and content that eliminate complexity, empower decision-making, and accelerate success. The Powerhouse of Productivity: GlobalCmd.com At the heart of Rome’s vision is GlobalCmd.com, an intuitive AI-powered platform designed to simplify decision-making and streamline workflows. Whether you’re solving complex business challenges, scaling a new idea, or optimizing daily operations, GlobalCmd.com transforms inputs into actionable, results-driven solutions. Rome’s approach is straightforward yet transformative: provide users with tools that deliver clarity, save time, and empower them to focus on growth and achievement. With GlobalCmd.com, users no longer have to navigate overwhelming tools or inefficient processes—Rome has redefined productivity for real-world needs. An Ecosystem Built for Excellence Rome’s vision extends far beyond productivity tools. The GlobalCommand Ecosystem includes platforms that address every step of the user’s journey: • GLCND.com: A professional blog and content hub offering expert insights and actionable advice across business, science, health, and more. GLCND.com inspires users to explore new ideas, sharpen their skills, and stay ahead in their fields. • GlobalCmd A.I.: The innovative AI engine powering GlobalCmd.com, designed to turn user inputs into tailored recommendations, predictive insights, and actionable strategies. Built on the cutting-edge RAD² Framework, this AI simplifies even the most complex decisions with precision and ease. The Why Behind GlobalCmd.com Rome understands the pressure and challenges of running a business, launching projects, and making impactful decisions in real time. His mission was to create a platform that eliminates unnecessary complexity and provides clear, practical solutions for users. Whether users are tackling new ventures, refining operations, or handling day-to-day decisions, Rome has designed the GlobalCommand Ecosystem to meet real-world needs with innovative, results-oriented tools. Empowering Success Through Simplicity Rome’s ultimate goal is to empower individuals with the right tools, insights, and strategies to take control of their work and achieve success. By combining the strengths of GlobalCmd.com, GLCND.com, and GlobalCmd A.I., Rome has created an ecosystem that transforms how people work, think, and grow. Start your journey to smarter decisions and greater success today. Visit GlobalCmd.com and take control of your future.

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