Houston Cougars' March Madness Run Ends

0:00On March 27, the Houston Cougars are out of the March madness tournament after a hard-fought sweet 16 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini. 65-55 on March 26 at the Toyota Center in Houston. The games they tight early on, with both teams trading leads and suffering scoring droughts in the first half. Illinois held a slim 2-point edge at halftime. 24-22, thanks to a buzzer-beater 3 from Houston's Kingston Flimmings. Fans watched Houston battle back in the second half, tying things up early before Illinois unleashed a big 20-to-2 run that opened up a double-digit lead. The Cougars clawed within seven points late, but foul trouble let Illinois seal it with free throws. Standout performers for Houston included a manual sharp, with 17 points, and Chris and Ag Jr. grabbing 10 rebounds. Illinois now leads the all-time series four games to three, and moves on to the Elite 8. The show grit and aggression all night, but Illinois steady offense proved too much.

1:02The Cougars will regroup and aim higher next season.