Houston Advances Past Colorado in Big 12 Tournament Quarterfinals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The No. 2 seed Houston Cougars defeated the No. 16 seed Colorado Buffaloes 77-68 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Championship on Thursday afternoon. Houston’s victory ensures their place in the semifinals, where they will vie for a shot at the title.

Houston opened up strong, quickly establishing a lead with a dominant performance that maintained throughout the game. The Cougars led 38-33 at halftime, eventually pushing their advantage to as many as 14 points in the second half. Colorado fought back but fell short as time ran out.

“We knew we had to come out strong today and set the tone,” said Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson. “We take pride in our defense and are happy with the way our guys executed our game plan.”

Colorado’s Andrej Jakimovski turned in a notable performance, scoring 25 points with eight rebounds and four steals. Despite his efforts, the Buffaloes struggled with shooting consistency, especially in the early part of the game, which ultimately hampered their chances for an upset.

The Buffaloes, who finished the regular season with a disappointing record of 14-20 overall and 3-17 in the Big 12, had previously surprising wins over TCU and West Virginia, giving them much-needed momentum heading into Thursday’s game.

“We gave it everything we had, but it just wasn’t enough,” said Colorado Coach Tad Boyle after the game. “We made some mistakes early that really hurt us, and we couldn’t overcome that.”

Houston’s key players also included J'Wan Roberts, who added 19 points, and Emanuel Sharp, who contributed significantly with multiple three-pointers, finishing with 13 points overall. The Cougars finished the game shooting 49% from the floor and 44% from beyond the arc.

With the victory, Houston, who boasted a Big 12 regular season record of 19-1, remains on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Cougars won the Big 12 Championship last year and are looking to repeat that success.

As the tournament continues, the first semifinal matchup will see the Cougars go up against the winner of the BYU Cyclones vs. Iowa State game, set to take place later in the day.

Fans filled T-Mobile Center with an attendance of 15,366, creating an electric atmosphere that reflected the high stakes of the tournament.