Cougars fans still proud of team’s deep run.

Crowds remain ‘proud’ of Cougars even as team’s championship hopes dashed

While the Cougars went down quietly on the court Saturday, Houston fans relished in the success of the season and the national spotlight that came with reaching the Final Four.

Hundreds gathered at the official watch party at downtown’s Avenida Houston outside the George R. Brown Convention Center cheered even facing a 25-point second half deficit against Baylor.

Mayor Sylvester Turner led the crowd in a call and response of “Whose House? Coog’s house!” to get the crowd pumped prior to tip-off.

“Even though we’re not in Indianapolis, I think that they can hear us all the way from here,” said Turner, a UH alum.

Decked out in a UH mask and poncho, sophomore Matt Gil was frustrated but hopeful as he watched the start of the Cougar’s first Final Four appearance in 37 years. Rallying is usually in Houston’s blood, he noted optimistically.

“I’m not having a lot of fun,” Gil said. “But, we’re a secondhalf team.”

While the event DJ blasted pump-up music during commercial breaks, fans waited anxiously to see if the team could pull out a victory. In the end, Baylor took the win with

78 points to Houston’s 59.

As the final buzzer sounded, fans stood and applauded for their Cougars and the hard work the team put in this season. Attendees looked ahead to next season as they packed up their lawn chairs and put away the noisemakers.

“Disappointed, but glad that we got this far,” said UH senior Isha Qureshi. “I’m proud of the Coogs.”

Ayman Rashid, also a UH student, echoed Qureshi’s feeling of pride.

“I’m sad, but I’m proud of our team for getting this far and hope that we’ll get even farther next time,” Rashid said.

Jean Wyclifm, who has undergraduate and graduate degrees from UH, was a student at the university the last time the men’s basketball was in the Final Four in 1984. While COVID-19 has made the tone more subdued, it can’t ruin the thrill.

“It’s delightful. We needed something uplifting with all that’s going on in the world,” said Jean Wyclifm. “Regardless if they go any further, this has been fun.”

UH student Jacob Izaguirre, 23, wanted to show his support for his school.

“Getting to the Final Four is something that rarely happens,” Izaguirre said. “This is historic. I had to come.”

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer University of Houston fans react Saturday during the Final Four matchup against Baylor University at a watch party at Avenida Houston. The Cougars’ 78-59 loss ended a historic season.

Yi-Chin Lee / Staff photographer University of Houston alums Joaquin Gomez, from left, Danny Martinez and Alex Zarate react to the team’s scoring drought during the first half of the Final Four game against Baylor.