Houston’s relentless defense confused and harassed Tennessee and carried the Cougars into their seventh Final Four and first since 2021.

Houston jumped to a big lead by limiting Tennessee, and the Cougars cruised past the Volunteers to advance to their Final Four since 2021.

Tennessee had one of the worst first halves in the 2025 NCAA tournament during Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup against Houston. The No. 2 Volunteers were 6 of 28 from the field and a staggering 1 of 15 from the 3-point line as they trailed the No.