Houston guard Milos Uzan (7) soars into the paint for a layup past Baylor guard Jalen Celestine (32) during the second half of an NCAA college men’s basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Five players scored in double figures as No. 6 Houston men’s basketball secured its 20th win of the season with a 76-65 victory over Baylor at Fertitta Center on Monday.
Graduate guard L.J. Cryer led the group effort with 14 points, followed by junior guard Milos Uzan with 12.
“We are a blue-collar team, and we have great kids who enjoy playing for each other. There’s a lot of love in the group,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “That’s usually what really great teams have.”
Cryer and redshirt sophomore Terrance Arceneaux scored the Cougars’ first 11 points of the second half, helping Houston build a 16-point lead over Baylor.
As graduate forward Norchad Omier led the Bears back within nine, redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp hit his third 3-pointer of the night, sparking a 17-1 Houston run that pushed the lead to 25.
Sharp returned to action after missing the past two games to recover from a nagging ankle injury. It was also his first time hitting three 3-pointers in a game since Houston’s matchup against West Virginia on Jan. 15.
He made an early impact, knocking the ball away from the Bears on Houston’s first defensive stand and nailing a 3-pointer on the other end for the game’s first points.
“It’s good for him to get out there and get going,” Sampson said.
It took a moment for Houston to build a lead, as Baylor made its first five shots, but a 10-1 run, capped by graduate forward J’Wan Roberts, gave the Cougars a 26-16 advantage. The lead fluctuated before halftime, but Houston still entered the break up 38-30.
In their first game without junior center Josh Ojianwuna, who is out for the season with a knee injury, the Bears managed just four offensive rebounds. Houston capitalized on his absence, scoring 32 points in the paint.
While Baylor’s bench managed just one point all night, Houston’s reserves combined for 24, led by Arceneaux with 11.
Houston kept control of the game thanks to 15 turnovers from the Bears that allowed Houston to cash in 28 points, a key component in what Sampson calls “unscripted points.”
“It’s our oxygen,” Sampson said. “It makes us who we are.”
Houston improved to 20-4 overall and 12-1 in conference play.
For the 10th straight season and 28th time in his career, Sampson recorded 20 wins.
Next, the Cougars will play back-to-back road games, starting with No. 13 Arizona at 1 p.m. on Feb. 15 and followed by Arizona State at 8 p.m. on Feb. 18.
