Houston Cougars’ last possession in the NCAA Tournament final on Monday night against Florida Gators was a head-crasher to put it easy.
Down 65-63 with a chance to tie it, or better yet, end the game, Cougars were not able to get a shot off. Emanuel Sharp looked like he was going to hovers a three-pointer for the victory, but he just dropped the ball instead when a Gators defender closed out to block the shot attempt.
Cougars had revenue before this possession, but the fact that no shot went up near the last sum, many scrapes had over their heads in terms of what Houston was thinking.
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Houston Cougar’s main coach Kelvin Sampson responds after a game against Florida Gators during the last four games on Alamodome. (Bob Donnan-Preferred Pictures)
Main coach Kelvin Sampson, who tried to lead his big cougars team to the program’s first national title ever, looked at the field as the last buzzer blowed and seemed muteed with what had happened.
In his interview after the game, Sampson openly knew the question that came: What was the piece, and more importantly, why didn’t a shot go up?
Florida wins the NCAA tournament over Houston after deleting 12-point deficit in an exciting way
Sampson said Sharp should have shot at the deep 3-point attempt instead of jumping and letting the ball go (he stood around it because a double dribble would have been called if he had touched it first).
“Both of these guys, [Florida’s Will] Richard and [Alijah] Martin, both really well defensively, “said Sampson.” Clayton played a great game on it. But that’s why you have to shoot fake and get in the paint.
“Two are doing well.”
But Sampson knows, no matter what the defense was, getting a ball for the net just had to happen.
Houston Cougar’s main coach Kelvin Sampson responds during the last four games on Alamodome. (Scott Wachter-Misted Pictures)
“At the end, get a shot,” he said. “You have to do better than that.”
However, Sampson told ESPN that he was not shouting at his players in the dressing room after the game. They fought throughout the tournament, including removing Duke in a Come-from-Bag victory in Final Four.
In this final, Cougars saw their 12-point lead deleted in the second half of Gators.
Houston Cougar’s principal coach Kelvin Sampson said to his players after the match, “I told them to be disappointed that they lost, but did not be disappointed with their efforts.” (Bob Donnan-Preferred Pictures)
“I told them to be disappointed that they were lost, but did not be disappointed with their efforts,” Sampson explained via ESPN. “These guys have played so hard for each other. And to get so far, get a minute, two minutes, a shot right there at the end of winning a national championship. They have so much to be proud of.”
