Houston’s Marcus Sasser then stole the ball from Geo Baker and went to the foul line with nine seconds left. He made two more free throws for a 63-60 lead, and Ron Harper Jr. missed a 3-point attempt for the Scarlet Knights at the buzzer.
Houston celebrated as Rutgers realized its dream season was over, short of what would have been its first Sweet 16 since 1979.
Houston (26-3) will next meet Syracuse (18-9) next weekend after Jim Boeheim and the Orange fended off West Virginia, 75-72.
“We missed a ton of open shots, we missed a ton of free throws but at the end of the game, we found a way to win and we survived and advanced,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said in a television interview.