All Kelvin Sampson could do was stand there, hands on hips with a blank look on his face, as the ball bounced loose and Houston’s latest chance at a national title bounced away, too.

When Kelvin Sampson took over Houston basketball in 2014, the to-do list was long. Now he's taken the Cougars to the verge of a national championship.

For the better part of 40 minutes Monday night, an elusive championship was in Houston's and head coach Kelvin Sampson's grasp. A victory would have have marked a breakthrough for a program and a coach who took the championship stage in San Antonio on similar trajectories.