Houston Cougars begin their starting lineup before the Big 12 Quarterfinals on Thursday Mar. 12, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
The Big 12 features many elite teams, including No. 3 Arizona, No. 7 Iowa State and No. 5 Houston among the top 10 teams in the country.
The Houston Cougars went to Kansas City, Mo., and tried to battle for the No. 1 seed in the Big 12. Cougars defeated BYU 73-66 in the quarterfinals, took care of Kansas 69-47 in the semifinals but fell short against Arizona 79-74.
Quarterfinals: Houston vs BYU
In the quarterfinals, Houston faced off against BYU and narrowly won 73-66 to advance to the semifinals.
In the first half, the Cougars struggled to stop BYU from scoring and trailed 41-37 by halftime. Although Houston was consistently scoring, BYU’s offense was explosive early on, as two players combined for 28 of the 41 points.
Additionally, Houston only shot 14 percent behind the arc compared to BYU’s 63 percent from the three-point line. However, Houston came out strong to start the second half.
In the second half, the Cougars kept the game close, only trailing by two points. Both teams went back and forth, vying for a spot in the next round of the tournament. Although the game was close, Houston kept their momentum and never let BYU regain the lead winning 73-66.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings was on fire with a team-high 17 points, two steals and three assists. Additionally, junior forward Joseph Tugler was the defensive pillar for the Cougars in the game, recording eight rebounds and two blocks.
Semifinals: Houston vs Kansas
In the semifinals, Houston battled against the Kansas Jayhawks and won to advance to the finals.
In the first half, Houston controlled the game from the start and gave the Jayhawks no time to react. The Cougars shut down Kansas’ stars, consistently scored on offense and remained calm through the storm.
However, in the late minutes of the half, Kansas quickly came back and made the game close. Houston kept the lead to end the half, 33-25. Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. would be the star on offense in the first half, with 15 points and 75 percent behind the arc.
At the start of the second half, Houston continued where they left off, shutting down the Jayhawks and giving them no space to breathe. Kansas went over nine minutes without a field goal, while Houston went on an 11-0 run over five minutes in the half.
Ultimately, the Cougars never let off the gas and won 69-47. Flemings would again have a team-high 21 points while Cenac trailed with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Finals: Houston vs Arizona
In the finals, Arizona dominated Houston, winning 79-74 to capture the Big 12 Championship.
In the first half, both teams started the game hot, as they consistently scored and dominated on offense. However, Arizona started dominating on defense and eliminated the Cougars’ offensive players. At half, the Wildcats would boast a confident lead of 44-36.
After halftime, Arizona gave Houston a taste of its own medicine, keeping the Cougars from scoring at an elite level and eliminating their ability to score.
Later on in the game, the Cougars kept the score close and had an opportunity to take the lead from the Wildcats. However, Arizona kept their foot on the gas, leading confidently against the Cougars and winning 79-74.
Tugler would go on to have a double-double, with a season-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.
What’s Next?
Although Houston didn’t win the Big 12 Conference tournament, the Cougars still showcased a strong team. With a top-five defense and consistent scorers like Flemings and senior guard Emanuel Sharp, Houston can make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Additionally, Houston was selected as the No. 2 seed in the South region in the tournament on March 15. With a few adjustments and mistakes to clean up, Houston has a chance to go all the way to the national championships and hoist up the trophy.
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