One of the biggest upset scares on day three of the NCAA Tournament came late on Saturday night when No. 8 seed Gonzaga pushed top-seed Houston to the final buzzer. The Bulldogs didn't have quite enough to pull off the stunner, as Khalif Battle's 3-pointer in the final seconds was blocked and the Cougars escaped with an 81-76 win.

Coming into the game, Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson talked at length about the respect that he has for the Gonzaga basketball program and head coach Mark Few. Nothing about that changed during this barnburner, and Sampson continued to gush about the Bulldogs after the game, via Awful Announcing.

“Let's stop and congratulate Mark Few and Gonzaga,” Sampson said on the court after the Houston win. “For what they've accomplished, and been such a shining light for basketball programs and basketball coaches for a long, long time. There's nobody I respect more than Mark Few, and there's not a basketball program I respect more than Gonzaga. We beat a hell of a program tonight. That makes it even more significant.”

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Houston seemed to be in full control for most of the game, shutting Gonzaga down with its elite defense in the first half and matching it score for score for most of the second half.

However, when Houston took a 76-65 lead with under three minutes to go, Few and company jumped into a 1-3-1 half-court trap defense that completely flustered the Cougars. Gonzaga immediately went on an 11-1 run to cut the Houston lead to just one and had a chance to tie it after a pair of LJ Cryer free throws.

Sampson elected not to foul even with a three-point lead, always a controversial decision, but the free-flowing Gonzaga offense from the second half was nowhere to be found. Houston pressured Battle into the corner and into a desperation heave, which was blocked.

Houston will be happy to escape the first weekend and what was an undoubtedly difficult draw, but a new test awaits it in the Sweet 16. Sampson and company will take on No, 4 seed Purdue in Indianapolis, where the Boilermakers will surely have a distinct home crowd. This Houston basketball team is talented enough to get the job done, but it won't be easy as it continues to get deeper into the tournament.