After defeating No. 16 SIU Edwardsville, the Cougars beat No. 8 Gonzaga. Then, they upended No. 4 Purdue and No. 2 Tennessee to reach the Final Four. Houston became the first program since 2017 North Carolina to navigate the most difficult seed path possible for a No. 1 team.

The Big 12 will have a team in San Antonio Saturday for the Final Four, as Houston advanced. The Cougars eliminated Tennessee in the Elite Eight, 69-50. Joining

Tennessee basketball lost in the Elite Eight for the second straight season, falling to Houston and a game shy of its first Final Four.

Talaysia Cooper had 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, Samara Spencer scored 15 points and fifth-seeded Tennessee routed 12th-seeded South Florida 101-66 on Friday night in a women’s NCAA Tournament first-round game.