Houston, ranked first, narrowly avoids an upset in overtime following an electrifying buzzer beater by Texas A&M, ranked ninth. The Sweet 16 lineup is now established.

March 25, 2024

Houston, ranked first, narrowly avoids an upset in overtime following an electrifying buzzer beater by Texas A&M, ranked ninth. The Sweet 16 lineup is now established.

The Houston Cougars, holding the No. 1 seed in the men's March Madness tournament, narrowly avoided an upset in overtime when the No. 9 seed Texas A&M Aggies hit a breathtaking buzzer-beating three-pointer at the conclusion of regulation on Sunday.

Andersson Garcia, a forward for the Aggies, executed a remarkable fadeaway three-point shot just as time expired, leveling the score and forcing the game into overtime, leading to jubilant celebrations.

Garcia's incredible shot followed a period in which the Aggies outscored Houston 17-5 towards the end of regulation, resulting in a tie at 86-86.

However, during the overtime period, the Cougars demonstrated why they are among the tournament's top seeds, regaining their composure and outperforming the Aggies 14-9 in the extra time, ultimately securing a 100-95 win.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson described the final moments to reporters, likening them to Murphy's Law, which suggests that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. He highlighted the missed free throws, chaotic ball movement, and the Aggies' consistent success with challenging three-point shots, emphasizing the difficulty of their scoring opportunities.

Houston guard Emanuel Sharp led the game with 30 points before receiving his fifth foul in overtime, forcing him to exit the game due to fouling out. He was one of four Cougars players to foul out.

The Cougars' journey in this year's March Madness carries additional significance following the passing of their former standout player Reggie Chaney in August at the age of 23. Chaney had contributed to Houston's advancement to the Final Four in 2021. His jersey number, 32, is now commemorated on every player's uniform. After the team's thrilling overtime victory on Sunday, guard Jamal Shead shared how head coach Sampson encouraged the team to honor Chaney's memory and compete in his honor.

"We're prepared for this challenge," Shead expressed. "I just miss my teammate. Let's focus on the Sweet 16."

With Houston's triumph, all eight teams seeded 1 and 2 have progressed to the Sweet 16, marking the fifth occurrence since the NCAA tournament began seeding in 1979.

The completion of Sunday's games means the Sweet 16 matchups are finalized, promising exciting contests ahead. Below are the scheduled games for the Sweet 16 of the 2024 men's March Madness (all times in ET): [Insert list of games with their respective times]

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The Warriors' trio of stars proved ineffective against the unavoidable outcome in their defeat.

Houston, ranked first, narrowly avoids an upset in overtime following an electrifying buzzer beater by Texas A&M, ranked ninth. The Sweet 16 lineup is now established.

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