The Houston Cougars pulled off one of the most improbable wins you'll ever see Saturday. They took down the Kansas Jayhawks 92-86 in two overtimes following an incredible comeback in the final seconds of the first OT period.
Kansas led Houston by six points with 18.3 seconds to go in OT as Jayhawks guard Dajuan Harris Jr. stepped to the foul line for two free throws and an opportunity to ice the game. He missed both, with the second shot bouncing into Houston big man Joseph Tugler's hands which sent the Cougars off quickly into transition.
Emanuel Sharp hit a deep, contested three-pointer with 7.5 seconds to go, cutting Houston's deficit to only three. Kansas struggled to inbound the ball following the play, which led to a quick timeout from Bill Self. The defensive pressure continued after the stoppage as a pass from Kansas' Zeke Mayo was tipped into the hands of Houston's Mylik Wilson, who then drained a three with 4.3 seconds left to tie the game and force a second overtime.
You can watch the full, improbable stretch here:
I haven't seen anyone clip the entire sequence, from missed FTs all the way to 79-79. Maybe the most unexpected 14 seconds of the season. https://t.co/NCC1NFYq6B pic.twitter.com/L58dIFO3sz
— Will Warren (@statsbywill) January 26, 2025
According to Jared Berson and KenPom, Houston had a 0.4% chance to beat Kansas as the Jayhawks had a six-point lead in the final seconds of the first OT period. ESPN's win probability chart gave the Jayhawks a 99% chance to win the game in those final seconds as well.
Houston went on to finish the job in the next OT, getting out to an early lead and eventually winning the game 92-86. Also according to Berson, as he posted on X, Houston's win was the most unlikely between AP Top-25 teams over the past 15 seasons.
The No. 7-ranked Cougars survived over the No. 12-ranked Jayhawks in remarkable fashion, as Houston advanced to 16-3 on the season and remained undefeated in Big 12 play. Kansas dropped to 14-5 and has a chance to get the sour taste out of their mouth Tuesday against UCF.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Houston Shocks Kansas After Trailing by Six Points With Under 10 Seconds Remaining.
