Houston Dominates BYU to Advance in Big 12 Tournament

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The No. 2-ranked Houston Cougars showcased their dominance in the Big 12 tournament semifinal against No. 17 BYU on March 14, winning decisively by a score of 74-54. After a slow start, BYU struggled to catch up, falling to Houston who now advances to the conference final.

Houston (29-4) started the game with an aggressive 15-0 run before BYU (24-9) finally found the scoreboard with a 3-point play from Dawson Baker at the 13:16 mark in the first half. BYU coach Kevin Young acknowledged the poor start, saying, “Poor start by our club. We came out a little flat, honestly. Not sure why in a big game like that.”

The Cougars from Provo struggled shooting from the floor, hitting just 31.7% of their shots, including a paltry 21.4% from beyond the arc. Their offensive performance was the lowest scoring output for BYU this season, finishing the first half with only 20 points.

“We knew they were going to go on a run. We just had to survive it,” said Houston’s Emanuel Sharp, who led all scorers with 26 points. Sharp’s performance contrasted sharply with BYU’s showing, which fell victim to 13 turnovers that Houston converted into 16 points.

Despite the defeat, there were glimpses of hope for BYU. Junior center Keba Keita had a remarkable second half, scoring all 14 of his points and recording 12 rebounds. “He really carried BYU basketball in the second half,” mentioned one analyst during the game. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the halftime deficit that saw Houston leading 41-20.

BYU attempted to regroup in the second half, trimming the lead to 45-32 after a flurry of dunks from Keita. Yet it was Houston’s consistent execution and successful shooting, including back-to-back three-pointers from Sharp, that maintained their commanding lead.

In addition to Sharp, L.J. Cryer contributed 20 points, marking an influential performance for Houston who is now on a 12-game winning streak following this victory.

Young remained optimistic despite the loss, stating, “I am just excited for our group to win nine out of 10 and play the way we’ve played. It gives us a lot of momentum going into the NCAA Tournament.” As BYU prepares for the upcoming NCAA Selection, a reflection on this game will be necessary to ensure they don’t face similar hurdles in the future.