Houston guard Emanuel Sharp (21) takes the ball away from Colorado guard Julian Hammond III (3) as he hits the ground during the first half of the Big 12 Quarterfinal, March 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
Redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp led the way with 19 points, passing the 1,000-point milestone for his career.
Junior guard Milos Uzan and graduate guard L.J. Cryer each added 14 points, while sophomore forward Joseph Tugler chipped in 10.
However, graduate forward J’Wan Roberts was the only starter not in double figures, spending most of the second half on the bench with an ankle injury.
Although he was listed as probable to return, he never played again as No. 1 seed Houston defeated No. 16 seed Colorado 77-66 in the Big 12 tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday.
“I want to be able to play every game leading up to (March Madness),” Roberts said. “With these games coming up, I want to be cautious so I can be 100%.”
X-rays for Roberts came back negative, but it is unclear whether the winningest player in school history will play in Friday’s semifinals.
“I want to be in there with those guys. But if coach (Kelvin Sampson) wants me to be 100% when the time is right, then the big boss is right,” Roberts said. “If he does plan to sit me, I’ll be the greatest teammate, helping my guys even if I’m on the bench.”
Thursday also allowed Sampson to expand his rotation, giving minutes to freshman guard Mercy Miller, who had not played since Feb. 18.
“We’re a deep team; we got a lot of pieces that can come in to play really well,” Uzan said.
The Buffaloes managed a modest seven points before Houston went on a 12-0 run to take a 21-7 lead.
As redshirt freshman RJ Smith knocked down a 3-pointer to cap off an 8-0 Colorado run, the Buffaloes pulled within five, the closest they ever got the rest of the way.
In the final minutes before the half, graduate forward Andrej Jakimovski and Sharp traded 3-pointers, each hitting two, to push the halftime score to 38-33.
Jakimovski scored a career high 25 points on 4-9 shooting from three against the Cougars, while sophomore forward Bangot Dak was the next closest Buffaloe with 10 points.
After beating TCU and West Virginia earlier in the week, Colorado became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals of any conference tournament after finishing 16th or lower in the regular season since Tennessee in 1931. However, Houston quickly halted their momentum, improving to 20-1 in conference play and 28-4 on the season.
Next, the Cougars will continue in the Big 12 tournament when they face No. 4 seed BYU on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m.
