INDIANAPOLIS — Gas up the car, the Houston Cougars are headed back to the Final Four. The top-seeded Cougars used a suffocating defense to beat No. 2 seed Tennessee 69-50 in the Midwest Region final Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium to advance to college basketball’s grandest stage for the first time in four years.

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

Tennessee veterans Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack were part of the Volunteers team that lost to Purdue in the Elite Eight last year. They could have left to explore their professional basketball opportunities, but decided to return to Tennessee for another opportunity like the one they have today.