Buffaloes Aim for Upset Against Cougars in Big 12 Quarterfinal

Kansas City, MO — The top-seeded Houston Cougars (27-4, 19-1 Big 12) face the No. 16 seeded Colorado Buffaloes (14-19, 3-17 Big 12) in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship on Thursday at T-Mobile Center. The matchup will tip off at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The Buffaloes are riding momentum after back-to-back upsets against the No. 9 seed TCU Horned Frogs and No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers. To secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Colorado must continue their winning streak by claiming the Big 12 tournament championship.

Despite the recent success, Colorado’s season has been disappointing up to this point, with an overall record of 14-19 and a dismal 3-17 in conference play. Coach Tad Boyle watched intently as his team fought through their previous challenges.

“We’ve had our struggles this season, but now we have a chance to prove ourselves in the tournament,” Boyle said following the Buffaloes’ last game. “We’re focusing on one game at a time, starting with Houston.”

Houston enters the game having secured the Big 12 regular season title for the second consecutive year. They finished four games ahead of the second-place Texas Tech Red Raiders and lost only once during conference play.

In their last regular-season game, the Cougars exhibited dominance, posting a conference record of 19-1. “It’s important for us to maintain our focus as we transition into the tournament,” said Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson.

The Cougars are currently in contention for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, making the stakes high. A loss to the low-seeded Buffaloes could jeopardize their top seeding. They will look to recapture their rhythm as they take the court for the first time in the tournament.

As the game unfolds, Colorado’s offense struggled initially, facing a significant scoring drought against Houston’s aggressive defense, finding themselves down 26-12 midway through the first half.

Early in the game, turnover issues plagued the Buffaloes. Houston capitalized, running up an early lead and forcing Boyle to call a timeout after an encouraging 12-0 run by the Cougars. Colorado fought to break through, but Houston continued to build momentum, eventually maintaining a substantial lead.

The tournament features four quarterfinal games on this pivotal Thursday. Earlier in the day, the No. 4 seed BYU Cougars clashed with No. 5 seed Iowa State Cyclones, with the winner slated to face either Colorado or Houston in the semifinals.

Houston’s forward J’Wan Roberts demonstrated skillful ball control throughout the season and will be critical to the Cougars’ success. As discussions about team performance intensify, analysts project a total of eight Big 12 teams competing in the NCAA Tournament, highlighting the strength of the conference.

With the tournament’s stakes higher than ever, fans eagerly await the thrilling matchups that will determine the fate of each team. “Anything can happen in March,” Boyle added. “We just need to stay grounded and take it step by step.”