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Brutal stat highlights Duke Blue Devils’ struggles vs. Houston

Originally posted on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints
By Richard Pereira | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 12:37 AM ET

The Duke Blue Devils suffered a huge collapse in their matchup against the Houston Cougars during the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.

The Blue Devils were on pace to return to the national championship game as they had a 58-45 lead with 10:31 left in the second half. Then chaos happened.

For the remainder of the game, Duke was unable to make any of their shots. In the final 10 minutes of regulation, they shot 1-of-9 from the field. They also committed five turnovers, proving to be costly in the end.

This allowed the Cougars to make their rally. They outscored the Gators 25-9 within the same span, escaping with the 70-67 victory to end the national semifinals.

What’s next for Duke after Final Four loss

Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after their loss to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It was a heartbreaking conclusion to the 2024-25 season for the Duke Blue Devils, losing to the Houston Cougars in the way they did.

Their appearance in the Final Four showed they had the talent to compete for a national championship in the NCAA Tournament. It presented an opportunity for the Blue Devils to compete for their first national title since 2015. However, they were unable to fend off the Cougars’ rally, which now sends them into the offseason.

Duke ends the season with a 35-4 overall record, having gone 19-1 in ACC Play. They averaged 83.7 points on 49.6% shooting from the field, including 38.6% from downtown. As a result, they took down opponents by a margin of 21.1 points per game.

Cooper Flagg led the way with numbers of 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game throughout the campaign. He shot 48.3% from the field, including 37.4% from beyond the arc. Kon Knueppel came next with 14.4 points and 3.9 rebounds, while Tyrese Proctor provided 12.5 points and 3.1 rebounds.

The Blue Devils will now begin the offseason with plenty of questions. Whether Flagg returns to the team next season or declares for the NBA Draft remains to be seen. However, it means the team will nonetheless be busy throughout the summer.

This article first appeared on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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