Monthly Archives: April 2025

Hot-hitting UTSA rallies past Texas State, 18-13, to sweep the season series

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

James Taussig and Ty Hodge crushed solo homers to spark a 10-run third inning Tuesday night as the UTSA Roadrunners rallied from an early five-run deficit to beat the Texas State Bobcats, 18-13, in a 4-hour, 35-minute marathon.

In the latest installment of the Interstate 35 rivalry, held on a windy night at Bobcat Ballpark in San Marcos, the Roadrunners (34-10) pounded out 19 hits and three homers to sweep two games from Texas State in out-of-conference play this season.

It was UTSA’s first season sweep of the Bobcats (21-24) since 1995 in a regional series that dates back to 1992.

Texas State leads 63-42 all time, but UTSA has won five of the last seven. The game was played two days after the Bobcats beat the 20th-ranked Troy Trojans on Sunday afternoon in Alabama. The Roadrunners also played Sunday, downing the Memphis Tigers to sweep three games from the Tigers in San Antonio.

Adding to the intrigue, both of the squads were looking ahead to three-game series in conference play starting Friday, with first-place UTSA scheduled to open a three-game set in the American at second-place South Florida, while Texas State is slated to host Louisiana-Monroe in Sun Belt competition.

Regardless, both teams elected to dip into their weekend pitching rotations in a high-scoring game.

Connor Kelley, one of UTSA’s bullpen aces who pitched three innings on Sunday, worked one and two thirds innings into the eighth. Braylon Owens, UTSA’s Saturday night starter, got the last four outs by finishing the eighth and closing out in the ninth.

Home runs for UTSA came off the bats of Drew Detlefsen, Taussig and Hodge.

Taussig, a 6-foot-6 senior senior from New York, has hit home runs in each of his last four games. Other standouts included freshman Jordan Ballin, who had four hits and reached base five times. Also, freshman Caden Miller joined Detlefsen and Mason Lytle with three hits apiece. Miller and Lytle led the team with three RBI.

The Bobcats came out swinging the bats aggressively. They scored one run in the first inning and seven in the second for an 8-3 lead. After the Roadrunners scored 10 in the top of the third, the Bobcats answered with four more in the bottom half, leaving UTSA with a 13-12 advantage after three innings.

Texas State’s second inning was an eye opener. The Bobcats led off with consecutive solo home runs by Ian Collier, Samson Pugh and Zachary Gingrich, a freshman from Smithson Valley High School. Later, after Austin Munguia drilled an RBI single, Dawson Park launched the Bobcats’ fourth home run of the inning.

Park’s blast was a three-run shot that boosted Texas State into a five-run lead. But the lead didn’t last long. UTSA answered with 10 runs in the top of the third on nine hits. Taussig and Ballin had two hits each in the inning. Taussig blasted a solo homer and a run-scoring single for two RBI.

Records

UTSA 34-10
Texas State 21-24

Coming up

UTSA at South Florida, in the American Athletic Conference, Friday through Sunday
Louisiana-Monroe at Texas State, Sun Belt Conference, Friday through Sunday

Notable

The Roadrunners, sitting at No. 28 in the national RPI going into Tuesday night, have won five in a row. They have 10 games remaining before the conference tournament, and they need only five more victories to tie the program single-season record of 39. If they win six more, they will reach 40 for the first time in school history. After UTSA plays three this weekend at South Florida, the team returns to San Antonio for a mid-week Tuesday matchup at Incarnate Word. The Roadrunners then are set to play three at East Carolina, before they finish with three at home against Rice.

The conference tournament is May 20-25 at Clearwater, Fla. UTSA, with a three-game lead in the AAC on South Florida, is in the hunt for its first regular-season title since 2008. UTSA is also looking for its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2013, which came in its one and only season in the Western Athletic Conference. The Roadrunners will need to win the AAC tournament to clinch the conference’s automatic bid. If they fall short of the tournament championship, their NCAA hopes are not necessarily dashed, but they would need help from the selection committee to get at at-large bid.

As UTSA’s RPI climbs into the 20s, Hallmark calls for a focus on what his team can control

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Certainly, it’s safe to say that the UTSA Roadrunners take a measure of pride in being 27th in NCAA baseball’s latest ratings percentage index.

Pat Hallmark. UTSA rallied from an early 5-1 deficit to beat Florida Atlantic 10-7 in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, March 28, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners climbed three spots to No. 27 in the NCAA’s ratings percentage index. – File photo by Joe Alexander

In data published Monday, the Roadrunners moved up three spots in the RPI after sweeping three home games from the Memphis Tigers last weekend. And while it could be argued that the only time that the RPI really matters is in late May — during the NCAA committee meetings to decide the 64-team national tournament — it is significant for a team that prides itself on playing well.

For instance, only four programs in the nation outside of the Power 4 conferences have RPIs higher than UTSA. Oregon State is 11th, UC-Irvine 12th, Coastal Carolina 13th and Dallas Baptist 24th. Since Oregon State had been in the Pac-12 for decades before the latest realignment designated them as an independent in baseball, the Roadrunners really rank among only a handful of so-called mid majors in the top 30.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said on his Monday zoom conference with the media that he looks at the RPI because it does matter.

“We feel good about it,” he said. “I think we’d be silly not to feel good about it. But at the same time, we realize that can change. You got to play good ball. So, ultimately we try to lean back to, ‘Hey, what do we control?’ Right? In some ways, we don’t control that RPI. We control the next pitch we throw. We’re going to be the visiting team on Tuesday (at Texas State), so we control the next swing decision we make. That’s truly the only thing we control, is that next swing decision.”

Earlier this month, the Roadrunners climbed to No. 23 in the RPI, which is likely as high as they’ve ever been.

In 2022, they finished 37th after a spirited run in the Conference USA tournament. That year, they beat nationally-ranked tournament host Southern Miss twice before losing to Louisiana Tech in the C-USA title game. As a result, the Roadrunners returned home to San Antonio thinking that would be enough to earn them an at-large bid. It wasn’t enough, as they learned on selection day that they had been left out of the NCAA field.

Hallmark didn’t mention any of that in his visit with the media on Monday morning. But it’s something that likely is on his mind as the Roadrunners take a 33-10 record into San Marcos tomorrow to meet the 21-23 Bobcats, who, for the record, are 73rd in the RPI themselves despite having a mediocre season by their own standards.

As mentioned, the coach of the Roadrunners wants his players to focus mainly on what they can control.

“If we’re good at the things we control, then the RPI and things like that can get to where they are now, and where you want them to be,” Hallmark said. “But if you get too absorbed in that stuff, you lose sight of what really matters, and that’s the things you control — throwing a strike, swinging at a strike, taking a ball, and when we do swing, making them dangerous, violent swings. (Playing) good defense.”

Records

Texas State 21-23
UTSA 33-10

Coming up

UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Friday, 5:30 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Saturday, 1 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Sunday, noon

.

UTSA wins 6-5 in 11 innings to complete an AAC series sweep over Memphis

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The day started with the American Athletic Conference-leading UTSA Roadrunners looking a little out of sorts.

Maybe it was the noon start on a muggy Sunday in San Antonio. Maybe it was a lack of concentration after scoring a combined 29 runs in a pair of run-rule decisions over the past few days. Whatever it was, they fell behind by two in the first inning, and, before anyone knew it, the last-place Memphis Tigers had gained some swagger and momentum.

By the eighth, the visitors looked absolutely salty, surging again into a two-run lead. But it didn’t last long.

The Roadrunners found their groove, scratching out two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie, before they walked it off in the 11th. With the bases loaded and two out, Ty Hodge belted a drive that sailed over centerfielder Cade Greer, bringing home the winning run in a 6-5 victory that gave the Roadrunners a series sweep over the Tigers at Roadrunner Field.

In response, UTSA players chased Hodge into the outfield, whooping it up and celebrating like the kids that they are. All of them enjoying another magic moment in a season that has potential to produce a few more scenes just like this one.

“It was a fun game,” Hodge said. “Obviously, walk offs are always fun. Yeah, it was a good game. They played well. I thought we played pretty well. Just didn’t hit as well as we have the past two days, but that’s baseball. But, yeah, we put ourselves in a position to win at the end. They gave me a good pitch to hit and got the job done.”

Even if the game wasn’t a runaway success like the 12-2 and 17-7 victories on Friday and Saturday, respectively, Hodge and the Roadrunners will take it, especially after digging deep to come back at the end.

“We handled it well,” Hodge said. “Our team’s got a lot of fighters. We’re never out of it. Yeah, extra innings are fun. We were ready for the challenge, and got it done.”

After opening the season in February with a 1-3 record, the Roadrunners (33-10, 15-3 in the AAC) have morphed into a confident bunch of guys with players up and down the lineup and all through the pitching staff contributing. They have won games by lopsided scores. They’ve won the close ones. They’re winning at home (22-2) and on the road (11-8).

Picked to finish fourth in conference, they have played six three-game AAC series and have won them all, including three sweeps, to forge a three-game lead over the second-place South Florida Bulls. Over the next three weeks, UTSA has 11 games to play in the regular season and nine in conference.

As for their next challenge, they’ll play an out-of-conference game Tuesday night on the road against the rival Texas State Bobcats, before they take to the road again to face the Bulls in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 AAC series next weekend.

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said his team will be ready to play in the Interstate 35 rivalry right after an emotional series against Memphis and just before it faces the Bulls starting Friday night in Tampa, Fla.

“I don’t mind it,” Hallmark said. “I mean, (the Bobcats) are good. They’re always good. Coach (Steve) Trout does a good job. I know what you’re talking about, with the emotions, just after this emotional game. And then the big games this (next) weekend (in Florida). You worry about a trap game, or something. But we’ll be ready. Texas State will be ready, too.”

In the series finale, Memphis (16-27, 4-14) played the best game of the weekend, by far. Centerfielder Cade Greer went three for five at the plate and robbed Hodge of the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. With base runners at first and second, Hodge lifted a fly ball into the outfield. Greer may have misplayed it initially, but in recovery, he raced in and dove to catch it.

It was a game-saving play, for sure.

In addition, Justin Fogel went two for four and blasted a solo home run in the top of the eighth that gave Memphis a 5-3 lead. As for the pitching, relievers Davis Oswalt, Will Howell and Brayden Sanders combined to pitch the last eight and a third innings, holding the explosive Roadrunners to four runs on seven hits.

For the Roadrunners, Hodge shined for the third day in a row with a two-for-five performance, driving in two in the process. Norris McClure and Andrew Stucky also had a couple of hits apiece. In power production, Stucky and James Taussig delivered with solo home runs. Stucky pulled one over the left field wall in the third inning and Taussig hammered his third of the series in the fourth.

With UTSA trailing by two entering the bottom of the eighth, McClure started the rally against Howell with a one-out single and advanced on a wild pitch. Hodge followed by stroking an RBI single through the right side. A key sequence ensued with Broc Parmer ripped a Harris fastball down the right field line for an RBI triple to knot the score at 5-5.

Another turning point came when Connor Kelley entered the game to pitch in relief in the ninth. Kelley, pinpointing a fastball clocked as high as 97 mph, retired nine batters in a row through the next three innings. It set the stage for the Roadrunners to win it in the bottom of the 11th, and that’s what happened.

Facing Sanders, freshman Jordan Ballin and Stucky drew back-to-back walks. Getting a little rattled after being called for a pitch-clock violation on a ball-four call, Sanders fired a ball that grazed Norris McClure, a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases. From there, Hodge did the rest.

After working the count to 3-2, he hit a ball over Greer’s head in center, scoring Ballin with the winning run. As a result, Kelley (2-0) was awarded with the victory. Sanders (0-1) took the loss.

Records

Memphis 16-27, 4-14
UTSA 33-10, 15-3

Coming up

UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday at 6 p.m.
UTSA at South Florida, Friday
UTSA at South Florida, Saturday
UTSA at South Florida, Sunday

AAC leaders

UTSA 15-3
South Florida 12-6
Charlotte 11-7

JB’s video replay

First-place UTSA expands its lead in the American by powering past Memphis, 17-7, in eight innings

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Ty Hodge, Mason Lytle and James Taussig blasted home runs Saturday as first-place UTSA beat the Memphis Tigers 17-7 in eight innings on the run rule at Roadrunner Field.

Hodge and Taussig both homered for the second straight day.

Hodge, a redshirt junior from College Station, hit a two-run blast in the first and finished with six RBI. Taussig, a 6-6 senior from New York City, walked it off with a three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth.

The Roadrunners have won two straight from the Tigers in the three-game American Athletic Conference series and can complete the sweep with a win Sunday. First pitch is at noon in UTSA’s on-campus stadium.

As an added benefit for UTSA, the AAC’s second-place South Florida Bulls lost at Wichita State, 6-4, which allowed the Roadrunners to open a three-game lead in the conference race.

UTSA took a 13-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning and scored four runs to clinch the game on the 10-run rule. Taussig took reliever Logan Stelling deep with a three-run homer over an elevated center field wall, which is 405 feet from home plate.

Hodge entered Game Two of the series coming off a Friday night performance in which he hit the ball hard twice and smashed a grand slam.

He followed it up with a two-for-five performance, highlighted by his no-doubt, two-run homer in a three-run UTSA first inning.

Hodge was also credited with two RBI on a fielder’s choice in the fifth, when the Tigers’ infield made a throwing error on a potential double-play ball. The redshirt junior from College Station added a two-run double in the sixth inning.

Lytle went three for four, scored four runs and boosted his batting average to .401, which ranks among the leaders in the AAC. He slammed a three-run homer, pulling it to left field, in the bottom of the seventh.

Not only did the Roadrunners hit for power on a hot and muggy day on their home field, but they were also were opportunists in stealing five bases. In addition, they capitalized on two errors by the Tigers to score four unearned runs.

UTSA starter Braylon Owens (6-2) picked up the victory in working six and a third innings. Though he gave up five runs on six hits, including two home runs, he also showed good stuff, striking out eight.

For the second straight day, the Roadrunners played error-free baseball on defense. Drew Detlefsen highlighted play on the defensive side with a diving catch in left field.

Dylan Perez, Jake Pitts and Seth Cox all homered for the Tigers, who out-hit the Roadrunners until the last inning. UTSA stroked three hits in the eighth to edge Memphis 11-10 for the game.

The Roadrunners have now won three straight, outscoring opponents 54-16 in that stretch. They have won 32 games on the season, seven shy of the school record. Additionally, the Roadrunners improved to 21-2 at home.

Records

Memphis 16-26, 4-13
UTSA 32-10, 14-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, at noon
UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Notable

With a chance to win a regular-season title, the Roadrunners have three, three-game conference series remaining. They’ll play next weekend at South Florida and the following week at East Carolina. The Roadrunners close out the regular season with three at home against the Rice Owls from May 15-17. The AAC tournament is set for May 20-25 at the BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla.

UTSA also has moved into consideration for an NCAA tournament berth. With an NCAA tournament field of 64 teams, UTSA can assure itself a spot in the bracket if it can win the AAC postseason event in Clearwater for an automatic bid. Also, an at-large bid is a possibility. The Roadrunners were rated 30th nationally coming into the Memphis series on the NCAA’s ratings percentage index (RPI) computer.

Zach Royse strikes out nine as UTSA run-rules Memphis, 12-2

Posted on by
Reply
Zach Royse. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Zach Royse pitched six innings and allowed only a run on four hits against Memphis. He struck out nine and walked two. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After UTSA dismantled the Memphis Tigers 12-2 in a seven-inning, run-rule decision Friday night, pitching seemed to be top of mind for Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark. Particularly, the work of starter Zach Royse, who yielded one run and struck out nine in six easy-going innings.

“Royse has had a very good year,” Hallmark said, “very consistent, mature, all these things we like. Reliable. But I thought tonight he had his best stuff, which is saying something, because he’s usually (at) 93 miles an hour, and I haven’t seen the velocities, but it looked a little firmer tonight.

Ty Hodge home run. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Ty Hodge gets the flying arm bump after his sixth-inning grand slam against the Memphis Tigers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Yeah, it looked tough. The breaker looked harder (with more depth). Really, just a great job by him.”

The Roadrunners played what Hallmark called a “clean game” on defense with no errors, and they also stroked 14 hits on offense — including a three-run homer by James Taussig and a grand slam by Ty Hodge — to maintain a two-game lead on the South Florida Bulls in the American Athletic Conference.

The Bulls won on the road, downing the Wichita State Shockers, 4-1, to stay within two of the top spot in the AAC standings. The Roadrunners, meanwhile, held serve with their 31st victory of the season. On pace to win 40, UTSA improved to 31-10 overall and to 13-3 in the AAC.

Afterward, Royse said he just feels good physically at this point in the season, which is obviously a good thing for the Roadrunners. His mix of off speed and fastball may have been the key. He agreed that his heater may have been “a tick” harder than usual against Memphis.

“It’s just the time of the year, getting later toward the end of the season,” Royse said. “Body’s feeling good. You know, I’ve been throwing for quite awhile.” Asked if the warm weather helps, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior from Katy said it “definitely” does.

The Roadrunners backed Royse (6-4) by erupting for three runs in the third inning, five in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Taussig ripped his fifth home run of the season in the fifth by pulling it far over the right field wall. Hodge, not to be outdone, smacked his fourth of the year in the sixth.

Drew Detlefsen. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Drew Detlefsen executes a head-first slide at home to score in UTSA’s five-run fifth inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

On both occasions, Roadrunners who were not even in the game got in on the act, greeting both Taussig and Hodge on the dugout steps after their trip around the bases with the customary ‘boom’ celebration. In the celebration, everyone jumps, and the home run hitter makes contact with someone on a flying arm bump.

The “boom” is emblematic of a close bond that has developed among players over the course of the season. Royse said he thinks the cohesive nature of the group may be what separates UTSA from teams that aren’t winning as much. “Our camaraderie is really great,” he said. “You know, all the guys are together. It’s been a good time.”

Records

Memphis 16-25, 4-12
UTSA 31-10, 13-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, noon
UTSA at Texas State (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

UTSA has hit six grand slams this season, including one each in the last two games.

In the Roadrunners’ previous outing, last Saturday at home, Diego Diaz hit one in the second inning of a 25-5 victory over the Tulane Green Wave. In the sixth inning against Memphis, Hodge smashed one off reliever Malik Harris, pulling a line drive over the left field wall, scoring Taussig, Drew Detlefsen and Jordan Ballin ahead of him.

With the win against the Tigers, Roadrunners can now clinch the series with a victory on Saturday afternoon. Righthander Braylon Owens will get the start. Already, UTSA has won all five of its AAC series this season — against Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, UAB, Wichita State and Tulane. UTSA closes conference with road series at South Florida and East Carolina and then a home series against Rice.

The Roadrunners are 20-2 at home.

AAC leaders

UTSA 13-3, 31-10
South Florida 11-5, 23-16
Charlotte 10-6, 24-17

James Taussig. UTSA beat Memphis 12-2 in seven innings in American Athletic Conference baseball at Roadrunner Field on Friday, April 25, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

James Taussig acknowledges his teammates after ripping a three-run homer in the fifth inning against Memphis starter Seth Garner. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Recalling the ‘Boonville Bonanza,’ when Norris McClure became a UTSA Roadrunner

Posted on by
Reply

UTSA baseball infielder Norris McClure playing against Florida Atlantic on March 29, 2025, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA senior Norris McClure has emerged as one of the top hitters in the American Athletic Conference after spending the past four seasons at Spring Hill College in NCAA Division II. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

This is a story about the “Boonville Bonanza” and how it just keeps on paying dividends for Norris McClure and the surging UTSA Roadrunners.

For starters, let’s just say that the story centers around a moment in time in college baseball as told by McClure, UTSA’s prized offseason third-base pickup out of the transfer portal.

It’s also about how it’s never too late to chase an NCAA Division I dream.

McClure, who grew up in Louisiana in the New Orleans area, came out of Lakeshore High School in Mandeville in 2020.

He was considered a good player with Division I athleticism, but one that just didn’t get much attention from major schools at the outset of the Covid 19 pandemic.

Consequently, it led to his four-year stay at Division II Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.

Said UTSA coach Pat Hallmark, “I’m not sure how he ended up at a Division II program out of high school.”

As it turned out, Division I’s loss was Spring Hill’s gain, as McClure played in 137 games and hit .375 for his career with the Badgers. During his junior year, he showed real promise, raking at a robust average of .401.

But just as his fortunes seemed to be ascending, they stalled out when he suffered a hand injury in February 2024 in the first at bat of his senior year.

McClure, who suffered a fractured hamate bone at the base of his right hand, ended up playing only seven games. “A spooky time in my life,” he recalled.

Eventually, after the season and after his graduation, McClure entered the transfer portal. Healthy once again, he elected to join a summer league in upstate New York, where he would continue to sort out options on where he might play in 2025.

McClure, in an interview ahead of Friday’s home series opener against the Memphis Tigers, laughed and shook his head as he recounted the moment that he agreed to join Division I UTSA of the American Athletic Conference.

“I was in Boonville, New York,” said McClure, who has emerged as the AAC’s fifth leading hitter with a .366 average. “Nobody probably knows where that is. Boonville. Yes, sir. Playing the Lumberjacks (that day).”

Boonville, the home of the Lumberjacks, is a tiny enclave of about 1,900 located some 50 miles east of Syracuse. It’s also south and west of the Adirondack Mountains.

Asked to clarify, McClure said he played that day for the Utica Blue Sox, on the road in Boonville, in a New York summer league.

“I was on the Blue Sox, which is a very nice summer ball program, if you want to give a quick shout out to (coach) Doug Delett,” he said.

On the day of the game, McClure elected to make a call on his career.

After consulting with his parents and carefully considering a few options in both the Sun Belt and the American conferences, he zeroed in on UTSA, a decision that would resonate positively in his world for the next 10 months.

“I was (thinking), ‘I really have an opportunity to potentially play and help this team out,’ “ McClure said, recalling the rationale for his decision. “I thought this was a really cool chance. Didn’t want to miss it. So, I committed right then and there. I think I texted (UTSA assistant) coach (Zach) Butler and we got it all handled.”

Though the Roadrunners have been reaping the benefits of that decision all season, they have been overjoyed to see the results in the past 24 days.

In the month of April, over a 10-game stretch, McClure has hit for a .512 average, producing four home runs and 21 RBI. He has 21 hits in 41 at bats as the Roadrunners have held fast to first place in the AAC.

Holding on to a two-game lead in conference, UTSA (30-12 overall and 12-3) has 14 games left overall and 12 in the league before the AAC tournament at Clearwater, Fla.

McClure, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound, left-side hitter, made headlines last Saturday in the team’s last game by launching two home runs — both in the second inning — of a 25-7 victory over Tulane at Roadrunner Field.

The outburst gave him four homers in his last five games. All this, from a player who hit only 13 round trippers in a little more than three seasons in Division II.

“Sometimes you see some guys (in Division II) with good offensive numbers, but they don’t transition (to Division I) athletically,” Hallmark said. “Norris is very athletic. We were very fortunate to get him over here.”

Though McClure loves his new home, he has faced some challenges.

After a hot start to the season in February in which he stroked 15 hits in 34 at bats, he swooned in March, going nine for 48, ending the month on a zero-for-14 skid.

“He got a little rushed (at the plate), a little bit,” Hallmark said. “He was getting a little anxious. As soon as the production dips — a little bit of anxiety creeps in – emotion. (Now) he’s gotten back to where he’s taken some of that emotion out of the at bat.”

Right now, Hallmark said, McClure has settled into a mental zone that allows him to step into the batter’s box “very emotion-less” in his approach.

“Emotion-less hitters make better decisions,” the coach said. ”It’s kind of a theme of ours. So, lately, he’s been doing a good job of that.”

Becoming “emotion-less” in a game that is inherently emotional can be difficult challenge, McClure said, but he said the mantra as laid down by Hallmark and assistant coach Ryan Aguayo has served him well.

“You swing through a curve ball and it’s a terrible swing, you still (have) two others coming,” he said. “That’s the mental aspect that I was talking about. (Coach Hallmark) and coach Aguayo teach it very well. So I give ‘em all the praise for that.”

McClure also said it helps to be playing on a talented squad with a team batting average of .325, which is tops in the AAC. Furthermore, he said players have a close bond off the field and try to keep the mood light in the dugout during tense moments.

“I’m very, very proud of our team,” he said. “With a lot of new guys, that can be very tricky with a lot of teams. I don’t know how many (new players we have) exactly, but there are very few in the locker room that can remember the stories they were talking about from last year.

“So, it’s kind of funny. But I’m really proud of the way this team has come together. You know, we talk about friendship a lot and how close we are. That just helps with everything.”

McClure said he also had a positive experience with his former team at Spring Hill, as well. After his sophomore year, he entered the transfer portal for about 10 days before deciding to stay.

“I liked the people there,” he said “Had a lot of fun. Knew I was going to be in the lineup and knew I was going to play. There was some sort of comfort in that, being there for four years.

“But after I graduated (last spring), you know, I thought about it a lot. It was definitely a big decision. I talked to my parents. (It was) something that I had to make sure they were going to be supportive of, whatever I was doing. Whatever decision I made.

“And, like you said, the options were either to stay or hit the portal and see what happens. Thankfully, it’s all worked out, obviously.”

A bonanza for all parties concerned.

Records

Memphis 16-24, 4-11
UTSA 30-10, 12-3

Coming up

Memphis at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, noon

Baseball: First-place UTSA hits four homers, routs Tulane, 25-7

Posted on by
Reply

Update: UTSA’s Tuesday night game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has been called off because of poor field conditions brought on by inclement weather.

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The first-place UTSA Roadrunners bashed four home runs in an 11-run second inning Saturday en route to their 30th win of the season, a 25-7, run-rule victory in seven innings over the Tulane Green Wave.

For the Roadrunners, the bottom of the second was uniquely productive in that they hit for a home-run cycle of sorts, meaning that they crushed balls out of the park in all four variations — solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam.

Norris McClure hit two of the homers, a two-run shot to center and also a three-run blast to right, and Diego Diaz sliced a ball into the screen in left field for a grand slam. Mason Lytle added a solo shot in the inning. Both McClure and Diaz finished with eight RBI on the day.

After losing at home for only the second time this season on Friday, UTSA rebounded on a day that Tulane’s pitching collapsed, issuing 15 walks, not to mention hitting four batters and throwing three wild pitches.

UTSA took full advantage of the situation by stroking 16 hits, following its 11-run second inning with three runs in the third, four in the fourth and six in the fifth.

With the victory, the Roadrunners (30-10, 12-3) won two of three in the series against the Green Wave and increased their lead in the American Athletic Conference to two games over the South Florida Bulls.

Records

Tulane 24-17, 8-7
UTSA 30-10, 12-3

Coming up

UTSA at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Friday, April 25, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, April 26. 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, April 27, noon

Notable

The Roadrunners have won 30 games for the fourth straight season under Coach Pat Hallmark. They won 38 games in both 2022 and 2023 and 32 last season.

The streak matches a run from 2006 through 2009 under Sherman Corbett for consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins.

The Roadrunners have 15 games remaining in the regular season, which includes three-game AAC series against Memphis, South Florida, East Carolina and Rice.

AAC leaders

UTSA 12-3, 30-10
South Florida 10-5, 22-15
Florida Atlantic 9-6, 27-12
East Carolina 9-6, 27-14
Charlotte 9-6, 22-17
Tulane 8-7, 24-17

Florida wins the NCAA title with a 65-63 victory over Houston

Posted on by
Reply
Florida wins the national championship at the 2024 Final Four at the Alamodome.

The confetti rained down on the Florida Gators Monday night after they defeated the Houston Cougars and won their third NCAA men’s basketball championship. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

If the NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship game had been a canvas, then the Florida Gators’ last defensive stop against the Houston Cougars in a 65-63 victory represented a work of art. They stuffed both of the Cougars’ leading scorers on one play to secure their first title in 18 years.

With Florida leading by two and 19 seconds remaining Monday night at the Alamodome, Houston had an opportunity to tie or take the lead. Coming out of a timeout, they inbounded and put the ball in guard L.J. Cryer’s hands about 30 feet from the hoop.

Florida wins the national championship at the 2024 Final Four at the Alamodome.

Florida fans shouted their approval after the Gators won their first title since back to back crowns in 2006 and 2007. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But with a defender in his face, the Cougars’ No 1 offensive threat had nowhere to go and tossed it to teammate Emanuel Sharp, a deadly 41.5 percent shooter from three-point range. Seeing an opening in the middle of the floor, he jumped and started to launch what would have been a long three for the lead, only to see Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. close out on the play and fly past him.

To avoid having the shot blocked or getting called for traveling, Sharp dropped the ball before his feet hit the floor, hoping that one of his teammates could retrieve it. The gamble proved costly. With the ball bouncing three times and the clock ticking away the last few seconds, Florida forward Alex Condon raced out from his post inside, dove and secured it in his arms.

Then he tossed it to Clayton as the buzzer sounded.

Still face down on the floor, Condon knew that the sound of the blaring horn was a good thing. It meant that the Gators had scrawled their initials on a season-long masterpiece. Afterward, Florida coach Todd Golden hailed his team’s run to the title as “a heck of an accomplishment.”

“Obviously, we have an incredibly talented group, one of the most talented groups individually in America,” Golden said. “I do think what separates us and has separated us all season long is our team talent, how our guys have played together and for each other all year. Because of that, we can call each other national champions for the rest of our lives.”

For the third straight game in the tournament, the Gators rallied from a deficit of nine points or more to win. They did it against Texas Tech in the regional final. They did it against Auburn Saturday in the national semifinal. And once again, against Houston, they were down 42-30 early in the second half, only to find a way to win.

It wasn’t easy. The Cougars, who had won 18 straight, continued to play hard even though they were not at the top of their game.

Leading by three points with 4:17 remaining and looking for their first national title, Houston was outscored 8-3 down the stretch as their championship hopes slipped away. The Gators took the lead with 46.5 seconds remaining when Alijah Martin drove to draw a foul and made two free throws, making it 64-63.

Alex Condon, Florida

Florida forward Alex Condon had 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After a timeout, Sharp had the ball on the dribble, taking it down the right side of the lane. In response, Florida’s Will Richard reached in and deflected it, knocking it off Sharp’s leg.

The play, confirmed on an official review at the monitors, gave Florida possession with 26.5 seconds left. Drawing a foul, Gators guard Denzel Aberdeen went to the line and made one of two free throws, giving the Gators a 65-63 lead as the Cougars called time with 19.7 seconds left.

That is when the Gators’ masterpiece of a defensive stand unfolded. Clayton, held to 11 points after scoring 30 and 34 in his last two games of the tournament, read Houston’s play perfectly and promptly hustled outside to contest Sharp.

“Felt like we were going to get something from Cryer or (Houston forward J’Wan Roberts),” Clayton said. “Sharp kind of creeped down to the baseline. I seen a back screen. I’m yelling ‘screen,’ at Do (Condon). Sharp ended up slipping it … We work on it in practice, closing out, jumping to the side, so you don’t foul the shooter. He pump faked, threw the ball down. Ended up being a good play (for us). Do got on it. We won the game.”

Condon described the surreal moment of latching onto the ball and then realizing that the game was over, and that the Gators had won.

“I think it was a great defensive play by Walter,” Condon said. “I was questioning whether I should go out and leave my man. He did a good job of making him (hesitate and drop the ball). It was going to be a travel (violation) if he picked it up. Just diving on it and hearing the buzzer … was a crazy feeling. Didn’t feel real, for sure.”

Guard Will Richard led the Gators in scoring with 19 points. Condon had 12 points and Walter Clayton Jr. 11. Defensively, the Gators played extremely well, holding the Cougars to 34.8 percent shooting from the field and limiting them to just six of 24 from the three-point line.

Walter Clayton Jr., Florida.

Walter Clayton Jr. contributed 11 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Clayton, a first-team All American, had scored 30 and 34 points in his two previous tournament games. – Photo by Joe Alexander

For Houston, playing its first national title game since 1984 in front of a mostly red-clad throng of its own fans, Cryer scored 19 points. Mylik Wilson had nine and Roberts, Sharp and Ja’Vier Francis contributed eight apiece.

“I told our guys after the game to be disappointed you lost,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “But do not be disappointed in your effort. You know, defending Florida is difficult. They got a really, really good team. Coach Golden runs great schemes over there. But we guarded ’em. We held that team to 65 points.”

The loss stung Sampson, a 69-year-old veteran of 36 years as a college head coach who has won 799 games but still has never won a national title. Asked during his postgame news conference what was on his mind in the big picture, he tried to explain.

“I’m just going through those last two possessions more than anything else,” he said. “Incomprehensible in that situation we couldn’t get a shot. Couldn’t get a shot. We were down two, and obviously we didn’t need a three … We were struggling to score the entire second half. We got good looks.

“Florida was doing a good job running us off the (three-point) line and forcing us to score it (elsewhere). We just didn’t do a good job of finishing some shots … Give Florida credit, too. I’m not going to sit up here and poor mouth, pity mouth us.

“We held that team to 65 points. Clayton and Martin combined go five for 20 (from the field). If you would have told me we would hold those two guys to five for 20 … We had a good plan. We just didn’t score it well enough to win. Scored it well enough to be in a position to win. At the end, you’ve got to get a shot.

“Got to do better than that.”

Records

Florida 36-4
Houston 35-5

First half

Wilson and forward Francis came off the bench and sparked the Cougars to a 31-28 lead at halftime.

Wilson, a 6-foot-3 graduate guard, played 11 minutes and hit three of six shots from the field for seven points. Francis, a 6-8 sky walker, had six points and four rebounds.

J'Wan Roberts, Houston

Sixth-year Houston forward J’Wan Roberts had eight points and eight rebounds, – Photo by

Six minutes into the game, Francis brought the crowd to its feet with a soaring dunk. Later, he added a couple of shots in the paint. His second field goal in the stretch gave Houston a 20-16 lead.

Wilson energized the Cougars with a steal from Denzel Aberdeen and then a breakaway layup. He later punctuated an 8-0 run for the Cougars with a dunk on the fast break, soaring to catch an alley-oop pass from Emanuel Sharp, and then dunking with force.

When Wilson hit a three off the glass out of the corner, the Cougars had a 29-21 lead with 5:02 remaining. At that point, the Cougars failed to capitalize on the momentum, hitting only one field goal for the rest of the half.

Will Richard scored on a jumper and a three-pointer in the last 3:21 to bring the Gators back. Richard finished the half with 14 points, including five of eight from the field and four of six from three.

The top scorers for both teams in Saturday’s semifinals were held in check. Florida’s Walter Clayton was scoreless on zero for four shooting. Guarded closely as soon as he crossed halfcourt, Clayton would try to drive, only to find another Houston defender in his face.

Clayton tried to adjust, passing for five assists. Clayton scored 34 points in Florida’s 79-73 victory over Auburn Saturday afternoon. Houston’s L.J. Cryer, who played 40 minutes and scored 26 in a 70-67 victory over Duke, was also guarded with intensity by Florida defenders.

Cryer had five points on two for six shooting.

Improved three-point shooting has helped propel Houston to the NCAA title game

Posted on by
Reply

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

After an exit from last year’s NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16, coaches for the Houston Cougars went back to work in an effort to upgrade the team’s offensive capabilities.

Milos Uzan. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

The addition of Milos Uzan (No. 7) has bolstered the depth of Houston’s three-point shooting. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Cougars did just that, reconfiguring a backcourt that now has the ability to carry the team with its three-point shooting.

Houston has always been known for its rugged defense, which ranks first in the nation this season in points per game and field goal percentage allowed.

Nevertheless, the Cougars’ ability to shoot the three has, in essence, turned the squad into a more well-rounded force of nature, one that has surged all the way to the NCAA championship game.

Houston (35-4) will try to win its first national title when it meets Florida (also 35-4) on Monday at 7:50 p.m. at the Alamodome.

“We collectively have more guys that can make a three,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said earlier this week. “We’ve gone from being a three-point shooting team to a three-point making team. There’s a difference.”

The Duke Blue Devils found that out the hard way.

Guards L.J. Cryer and Emanuel Sharp combined to hit nine of Houston’s 10 three-point buckets Saturday night in a riveting, 70-67 victory in the NCAA semifinals.

Cryer, in his second year at Houston after starting his career at Baylor, poured in 26 points. On the way to that outburst, Cryer knocked down six of nine from long distance.

Sharp made three of seven from beyond the arc and scored 16, including a momentum-changing three during the Cougars’ 9-0 run in the last minute of the game.

The performance was emblematic of Houston’s success all season. At least one player, and sometimes two or three, will heat up from the perimeter to make life miserable for opposing players and coaches.

Last season, the Cougars were excellent defensively, as usual, but were only a respectable team in hitting the long ball. They made 286 of 821 for 34.8 percent in a 32-5 campaign that ended in the Sweet 16 with a loss to Duke.

This season, the Coogs have connected on 320 of 803 for 39.9 percent. Houston’s three backcourt starters — Cryer, Sharp and first-year point guard Milos Uzan — have all hit better than 40 percent for the season.

Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma, was brought in to be a distributor as veteran point guard Jamal Shead was leaving for the NBA.

He doesn’t shoot the ball a lot in the Cougars’ system but he can make the three, as evidenced by his 44 percent accuracy for the year.

Cryer leads the team with 119 makes from distance while hitting 42.7 percent. Sharp, meanwhile, shoots the long ball at 41.5 percent clip.

In five NCAA tournament games, the Cougars have been even better. They’re making 40.3 percent in five games, averaging a little more than nine per outing. Opponents, by contrast, are hitting 26 percent and 5.2 per game.

Duke made seven of 17 from outside the arc, but that wasn’t quite enough.

In the end, the Houston’s remarkable 25-8 run on Duke in the last eight minutes of the game also showcased clutch free-throw shooting, which is always important in championship settings.

During that stretch, the Cougars made nine of 10 at the line, including two for two by forward J’Wan Roberts in the last minute of a harrowing finish. Roberts entered the Duke game as a career 58.9 percent free-throw shooter.

Roberts was three for eight from the free-throw line in last year’s Sweet 16 loss to the Blue Devils.

“Even though we only lost four games all year, a couple of those, the free-throw line impacted two of those,” Sampson said. “So we had our kids make 150 free throws seven days a week. I don’t think J’Wan missed a day from June 2nd till we left (Houston for San Antonio) on Wednesday.

“We left on Wednesday, right? So Tuesday night I looked at what he shot from the free-throw line with his 150 makes. He shot 87 (percent). That was his highest percentage … When he started this, he was at 66.”

Records

Florida 35-4
Houston 35-4

Coming up

NCAA championship game, Houston vs. Florida, Monday at 7:50 p.m. at the Alamodome

Notable

The Cougars have made two appearances in NCAA championship games, in both 1983 and 1984, in the Phi Slama Jama years. The 1983 team featured Clyde Drexler and Akeem (now Hakeem) Olajuwon. Olajuwon also played for Houston in the ’84 title game.

In ’83, the Cougars lost to Jim Valvano and the NC State Wolfpack at Albuquerque, N.M., and in ’84, they lost to John Thompson and Georgetown at Seattle, Wash. Both Houston teams were coached by Guy V. Lewis. This is Houston’s seventh Final Four appearance. The Cougars reached the Final Four in 1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021 and 2025.

Lewis coached the Cougars to the first five Final Fours and Kelvin Sampson the last two.

Sampson, 69, is bidding to become the oldest coach to win an NCAA title. Jim Calhoun won in 2011 with the Connecticut Huskies at age 68. In his 36th year as a coach, Sampson would also reach two other milestone if he can beat the Gators. A win would be the 800th of his career and his 300th in 11 seasons at Houston.

If Houston wins Monday night, the Cougars would be the third team from the state of Texas to win the NCAA men’s title and the first to do it in a game played within the state.

Don Haskins-coached Texas Western (now UT-El Paso) won the 1966 championship with a victory over Kentucky in College Park, Md. In 2021, Scott Drew-coached Baylor beat Sampson and Houston in the semifinals and then downed Gonzaga in the title game at Indianapolis.

Florida has reached the NCAA finals three times and has won two titles. The Gators made the championship game in 2000, 2006 and 2006, all coached by recently-installed Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Billy Donovan.

A Florida team that included forward Matt Bonner lost in 2000 in Indianapolis to Tom Izzo-coached Michigan State. Bonner went on to become a popular player with the Spurs. In 2006, they won the title in Indianapolis over UCLA, and in 2007, they won again in Atlanta over Ohio State.

Final Four stunner: Houston rallies from 14 points down to defeat Duke, 70-67

Posted on by
Reply
L.J. Cryer. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

L.J. Cryer (No. 4, on the dribble) scored 26 points Saturday night at the Alamodome as the Houston Cougars came from behind in the final minutes to beat the Duke Blue Devils at the NCAA Final Four. Houston advances to meet Florida in a national title game set for Monday night. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Fifteen minutes or so after the final buzzer sounded at the NCAA Final Four on Saturday night, the cavernous Alamodome was nearly empty. The Houston Cougars and the Duke Blue Devils had long since retreated to their respective dressing rooms.

As for the announced crowd of 68,252 fans, most had filed out through glass doors and into the night in downtown San Antonio.

But with members of media seated in the north end of the dome typing furiously to put into words one of the most thrilling NCAA tournament game finishes of the year, some Cougars’ fans could still be heard on the outer concourses.

Cooper Flagg. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

NCAA Player of the Year Cooper Flagg, seen here soaring for a dunk, finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists. The 18-year-old Duke freshman is mentioned as a possible No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Screaming in delight in intermittent bursts of emotion, they apparently didn’t want to leave the scene, and who could blame them? The Cougars had just erased a 14-point deficit in the last eight minutes and shocked the Blue Devils, 70-67, in the NCAA semifinals.

“Yeah, awesome win for my kids,” 69-year-old Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Obviously we have great respect for Duke and their team, their tradition, what Coach K and Duke has meant to this game for so long.”

Coach Jon Scheyer, who took the Duke job three years ago after the legendary Mike Krzyzewski retired, was clearly emotional in his opening remarks to the assembled press corps. Flanked by NCAA Player of the Year Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel on the dais, Scheyer talked about pride.

“So, for me, the very first thing I want to say is how proud I am to coach these two guys next to me and our entire team,” Scheyer said. “I mean, it’s been a special ride that ended in a heartbreaking way.”

Riding a 15-game winning streak into the Final Four, the Blue Devils (35-4) likely will long remember how this one got away from them. The Cougars (also 35-4) will in turn try capitalize on the momentum and carry it into a championship setting.

Houston will play Florida (35-4) for the NCAA title at the dome on Monday night. The Gators advanced by winning the earlier game of Saturday’s doubleheader, downing the Auburn Tigers, 79-73 behind Walter Clayton Jr.’s 34 points.

How it happened

Guard L.J. Cryer scored eight of his 26 points in the last 7:58 of the game in leading Houston to its 18th straight victory.

In a 9-0 run over the final minute and 14 seconds, Cougars reserve guard Mylik Wilson contributed with a steal on a Duke inbounds pass that led to dunk by Joseph Tugler.

J'Wan Roberts. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Houston forward Houston’s J’Wan Roberts shoots over Duke’s Cooper Flagg. Roberts finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. He hit the go-ahead free throws with 19 seconds remaining. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After the steal, Wilson dribbled out to the three-point line and shot the ball. The rebound went to Tugler, who dunked it, bringing the Cougars to within one point with 25 seconds left.

Duke, still with the upper hand, promptly advanced the other way in an effort to clinch the victory.

The Blue Devils couldn’t get it done, though, as Houston fouled and Duke guard Tyrese Proctor missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw situation with 20 seconds remaining. It was a miss that opened the door for the Cougars to win it.

Houston forward J’Wan Roberts snared the rebound and was fouled, walking the length of the court with a chance to give his team the lead at the free-throw line. Roberts, in his sixth year with the Cougars, came through.

He hit two with 19.6 seconds left, pushing the Cougars into a 68-67 lead, a development that prompted Cougars’ fans to unleash a high-decibel roar.

After a Duke timeout failed to quiet the crowd, the Blue Devils inbounded and passed once to Flagg, who misfired on a turnaround jumper with eight seconds left.

Cryer hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining to account for the game’s final points.

Individuals

Houston — When the Houston offense seemed hopelessly stalled in the first half, L.J. Cryer kept the Cougars in it. He scored 12 points on four of seven shooting before intermission. The former Houston area high school standout, who started his career at Baylor University, finished his day by hitting eight of 14 from the field and six of nine from behind the three-point arc. Guard Emanuel Sharp scored 16 points, including nine in the final two minutes. Forward J’Wan Roberts produced 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Emanuel Sharp. Houston beat Duke 70-67 in the second semifinal of the Final Four on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Alamodome. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Houston guard Emanuel Sharp scored nine of his 16 points in the last two minutes, including a three with 32.4 seconds that trimmed Duke’s lead to three. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Duke — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg was sensational. Not only did he have 27 points and seven rebounds, he also passed for four assists, made two steals and blocked three shots. Freshman guard Kon Knueppel produced 16 points and seven rebounds. Both Flagg and Knueppel hit three three-point baskets. While Flagg and Knueppel shot a combined 13 for 28 from the field, the rest of the team made only 8 for 25.

First half

Knueppel, one of Duke’s outstanding freshmen, scored 12 points in the half as the Duke Blue Devils grinded their way to a 34-28 lead on the Houston Cougars at intermission.

Another Duke freshman, national player of the year Cooper Flagg, showed off multiple skills with eight points, four rebounds and two assists.

In the beginning, the Cougars played hard but couldn’t hit a shot and fell behind 18-9 on the scoreboard.

They missed their first three shots, eight of their first nine and 14 of their first 17 in a frustrating opening 11 minutes.

Quotable

Asked how they executed what was the third-largest comeback in NCAA semifinals history, the Cougars offered varying explanations.

“I mean, it ain’t over because they still got time on the clock,” Cryer said. “As long as there’s time on the clock, we’re going out there and give it our all. We’ve been in positions like that before.

“At Kansas, I don’t remember how much we (were) down, but it was late in the game. That game looked like it was pretty much over, too. Somehow, we ended up winning it.”

Sampson put it more succinctly, saying that as far as the Cougars are concerned, “quitting isn’t part of the deal.”

Records

Houston 35-4
Duke 35-4

Coming up

Houston vs. Florida for the NCAA title, Monday at 7:50 p.m. in the Alamodome.