Duke vs Houston final score: Blue Devils fall late to Cougars in Final Four

Duke basketball lost 70-67 to Houston in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The Blue Devils were up by 14 with just under 12 minutes left, but the Cougars closed the game on a 25-8 run to advance to Monday's national championship game against Florida. Duke, which ends its season with a 35-4 record, saw Houston go on a 15-3 run, including a 9-0 stretch to win the game.

Keep this page refreshed and bookmarked for live updates and game highlights from Duke vs. Houston.

Duke vs Houston score updates in Final Four

A live scoreboard is below the live score updates and game highlights.

Duke 70, Houston 67: Final score

Duke lost 70-67 to Houston in the Final Four.

Cooper Flagg stats, Duke score vs Houston

Cooper Flagg has 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists with 6:26 left in the first half against Houston. Duke has a 59-51 lead.

Cooper Flagg has 10 points in second half vs Houston

Cooper Flagg, who scored eight points in the first half, has 10 points in the first eight minutes of the second half. Duke has a 54-42 lead with 11:54 left.

Duke 34, Houston 28: Halftime score

Duke has a 34-28 halftime lead against Houston. The Cougars closed the first half with a 9-3 run in the final 2:07.

Kon Knueppel stats in first half for Duke vs Houston

Kon Knueppel reached 12 points with just under 4 minutes left in the first half. Duke has a 28-17 lead on Houston.

Duke basketball, Houston in low-scoring first half at Final Four

Duke has an 18-15 lead on Houston with just over 7 1/2 minutes left in the first half. The Blue Devils and Cougars are shooting 31% combined from the floor at the Alamodome.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel stats in first half for Duke vs Houston

Kon Knueppel (9 points) and Cooper Flagg (5 points) have 14 of Duke's 16 points almost midway through the first half. The Blue Devils have a seven-point lead on Houston.

Kon Knueppel scoring helps Duke basketball take early lead vs Houston

Kon Knueppel scored seven of Duke's first 14 points, helping the Blue Devils take a six-point lead with 11:51 left in the first half.

Duke vs Houston start time at Final Four

Duke and Houston will tip off around 9:28 p.m. ET inside the Alamodome.

Florida will play Duke or Houston in the national championship at the 2025 Final Four

Florida earned a 79-73 win against Auburn in Saturday's first semifinal, meaning the Gators (35-4) will play Duke or Houston on Monday (8:50 p.m., CBS) for the national championship.

Duke vs Houston Final Four starting lineups

Duke starters: Cooper Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Sion James. Houston starters: L.J. Cryer, Milos Uzan, Joseph Tugler, J'Wan Roberts, Emanuel Sharp.

Coach K at Final Four to watch Auburn-Florida, Duke-Houston

Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is at the Alamodome in San Antonio for the Final Four. It's his first time watching Duke in the NCAA Tournament since he retired in 2022.

What channel is Duke vs Houston on today?

• TV channel: CBS
• Stream: NCAA March Madness Live app | Fubo | Paramount+

Buy Duke Final Four tickets

Duke will tip off vs. Houston on CBS. Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app and Paramount+ or Fubo, which offers a free trial. Announcers for the game are Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson. David Shumate and John Roth will have the radio call on the Blue Devil Sports Network and the Varsity Network app.

Duke vs Houston start time, TV channel, location

• Start time: 8:49 p.m. ET
• TV info: CBS
• Location: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas

Duke will play Houston at 8:49 p.m. ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Duke vs Houston preview

DUKE: Cooper Flagg, the AP Player of the Year, powers the Blue Devils' top-ranked offense. But Duke's balance is among its biggest strengths, with two other players — Tyrese Proctor (12.5 ppg) and Kon Knueppel (14.4 ppg) — averaging double figures. Defensively, Duke is coming off one of its best performances of the season in limiting Alabama to 65 points.

HOUSTON: The Cougars have the top-ranked defense in the nation, but their offense, particularly the 3-point shooting (39.7%) makes Kelvin Sampson's bunch among the most talented he's had in 11 seasons. Houston is riding a 17-game winning streak into the Final Four.

Duke vs Houston odds, betting line, spread

Spread: Duke is an 5.5-point favorite

Over/under: 136.5 points

Moneyline: Duke (-269), Houston (+219)

Duke vs Houston prediction, game picks

Game lines and odds from BetMGM will be posted as they become available.

Duke 69, Houston 65: The Cougars have the talent, experience and toughness to beat the Blue Devils and cut down the nets on the following Monday in Texas. But they don't have Cooper Flagg, who will be the star among stars in the Lone Star State. Duke wins a close one to clinch its spot in the national championship game.

Duke vs Houston injury updates

DUKE: Maliq Brown is dealing with a shoulder injury, but should be active against Houston.

HOUSTON: J'Wan Roberts has been playing through an ankle injury

Duke vs Houston stats

DUKE

• PPG: 83.7
• PPG allowed: 62.6
• FG% 49.6
• 3PT%: 38.6
• KenPom ranking: 1

HOUSTON

• PPG: 74
• PPG allowed: 58.3
• FG% 45.4
• 3PT%: 39.7
• KenPom ranking: 2

Duke vs Houston championship odds

Odds according to BetMGM:

DUKE: -110

HOUSTON: +450

Duke March Madness history

47 Years (123-41), 17 Final Fours, 5 Championships

• 2024 - Elite Eight
• 2023 - Second Round
• 2022 - Final Four

Houston March Madness history

26 Years (44-30), 7 Final Four

• 2024 - Lost in Sweet 16
• 2023 - Lost in Sweet 16
• 2022 - Lost in Elite Eight

Duke basketball schedule 2024-25

Below are the past five games of Duke's 2024-25 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

• March 15 vs Louisville at ACC Tournament (W, 73-62)
• March 21 vs Mount St. Mary's in first round of NCAA Tournament (W, 93-49)
• March 23 vs Baylor in second round of NCAA Tournament (W, 89-66)
• March 27 vs Arizona in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament (W, 100-93)
• March 29 vs Alabama in Elite Eight of NCAA Tournament (W, 85-65)
• April 5 vs Houston in Final Four

Houston basketball schedule 2024-25

Below are the past five games of Houston's 2024-25 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

• March 15 vs Arizona in Big 12 Tournament Championship (W, 72-64)
• March 20 vs SIUE in opening round of NCAA Tournament (W, 78-40)
• March 22 vs Gonzaga in second round (W, 81-76)
• March 28 vs Purdue in Sweet 16 (W, 62-60)
• March 30 vs Tennessee in Elite Eight (W, 69-50)
• April 5 vs Duke in Final Four

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.