2 Key Takeaways From Houston's Big 12 Championship Game Loss to Arizona
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With 48 seconds remaining, senior guard Milos Uzan launched his first triple of the game to cut Houston's deficit down to just a possession, after facing a deficit as large as nine points with 91 seconds on the clock.
But 24 seconds later, junior center Motiejus Krivas grabbed an offensive board that forced the Cougars to foul the rest of the way.
Not even two made free throws from redshirt freshman forward Chase McCarty could help No. 2-seed Houston men's basketball inch closer to forcing overtime or collecting its second-straight Big 12 tournament title, in suffering a 79-74 championship game loss to top-seeded Arizona at T-Mobile Center Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.
And in the game, similar patterns of getting handled inside by the Wildcats' big lineup, in the first meeting between the two programs, put Houston in deficits as large as 15 midway through the second half.
But even in junior forward Joseph Tugler fueling a near-complete comeback with his 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, Arizona's freshman duo of guard Brayden Burries and forward Koa Peat accounted for 42 of its 79 points toward giving the Wildcats their first Big 12 tournament title just two seasons into its league tenure, a feat similar to what Houston accomplished before.
While the confetti began falling for Arizona's conference title sweep, all Houston can look forward to now is where it will begin its journey back to the promised land to accomplish a larger goal in mind.
As the Cougars begin to head home to determine that journey for Selection Sunday, here are two key takeaways that can rather inspire confidence in shaking off a tough, yet contested loss towards that larger goal.
Tugler earns tournament honor with career performance
"There's not a lot of things that bother Jo," coach Kelvin Sampson said. "He doesn't get confused, loses confidence or constantly needs somebody to build him up. He doesn't need any of that. He's a warrior."
That warrior mentality came to a career peak for Tugler with a career-high 20 points off 9-for-15 shooting,10 rebounds to clinch his fifth career double-double, and an inside scoring presence at the five in the game that gave impressions much like forward J'Wan Roberts in previous seasons for the Cougars.
That presence also helped fuel Houston's comeback in the paint battle to finish it even, after facing as much as a minus-12 disadvantage and a turning 59-44 deficit, its largest of the game, into 59-58 with seven minutes to go.
Tally 38 points and 21 rebounds for him across Houston's complete stay in Kansas City, and Tugler's performances helped earn him Big 12 All-Tournament Team honors as part of his season back-half offensive resurgence.
A career night earns a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team.
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 15, 2026
Congrats, @joseph_tugler #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/T6NUyQVtjH
Now, these efforts remain crucial to keep that inside presence a consistent factor towards other potential matchups en route to getting back to the third weekend.
Cougars' small losing margin could leave pleasant surprise on Selection Sunday
Though it's nonetheless a tough loss for Houston in its well-earned full stay in Kansas City, the Cougars' four-point margin of defeat might actually carry a blessing in disguise when it finds out its' Selection Sunday placement on March 15 at 5 p.m. inside Fertitta Center back in Houston.
That margin became the lowest among three teams vying for the final No. 1-seed in the South region, and potentially helpful for the Cougars considering that Southeastern top-seeded Florida suffered a 17-point loss to No. 4-seed Vanderbilt in the conference semifinals, and Big East No. 2-seed UConn suffered a 20-point blowout to eventual conference champion St. John's in the same day.
Both results should be something to consider for the NCAA selection committee in deciphering who is deserving of that final seed, and Houston's late resolve in a losing effort might be the key difference in earning the right to play its way back home in the second weekend.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.