Houston Cougars On SI

Houston defeats Baylor: Score, live updates of regular season finale for both teams

Cougars finish Big 12 play at 19-1 by fending off Bears' late charge
Buck Ringgold|
Houston's LJ Cryer (4) with teammates
Houston's LJ Cryer (4) with teammates | Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images

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Houston CougarsBaylor Bears

Houston finished off what has been an impressive and record-setting march through the Big 12 Conference schedule.

The Cougars rallied in the second half and fended off a late Baylor charge to take a 65-61 road win Saturday night in Waco. Houston (27-4, 19-1) won 19 conference games, a Big 12 and program record for most conference wins in a season. Plus, the Cougars have won 10 straight games and 23 of their last 24 along with extending their Big 12-record road win streak to 14 straight games.

How to watch, stream Houston basketball at Baylor: TV channel, predictions

LJ Cryer, a former Baylor player, returned to Waco and scored a team-high 23 points and made six 3-pointers. Four Cougars were in double figures. Along with Cryer, Milos Uzan had 12 points while Emanuel Sharp and J'Wan Roberts each had 11 points.

Roberts also got a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds, including his 1,000th in his career at Houston. He joins legendary centers Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Greg Anderson as the only Cougars to ever score at least 1,000 points and grab at least 1,000 rebounds.

After Saturday's game, Houston will be back in action Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The Cougars are already assured of the top seed.

Follow Houston Cougars On SI writer Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Waco's Foster Pavilion.

HOUSTON 65, BAYLOR 61 FINAL

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FINAL STATS AND ANALYSIS

- Houston shot 57.1 percent from the field in the second half (12-of-21) and also made 81.3 percent of its foul shots in that span (13-of-16).

- V.J. Edgecombe had 23 points to lead Baylor, while Norchad Omier had a double-double with 13 points and 16 boards.

- LJ Cryer, the ex-Baylor Bear, led the Cougars with 23 points and went 6-of-9 from 3-point range and 5-of-6 from the line. Milos Uzan had 12 points and Emanuel Sharp and J'Wan Roberts each had 11 points. For Roberts, he also had 10 rebounds for a double-double, including his 1,000th career rebound as a Cougar.

- A 19-1 Big 12 record for Houston. The Cougars ended the regular season winning 23 of their last 24 ballgames. They also won their 14th straight on the road, extending the longest road winning streak in conference history, which will stand until next season. Houston now gets ready for the Big 12 tournament.

SECOND HALF

- Double-double for J'Wan Roberts at the most opportune time. He hits the first of two free throws. Then he makes the second. Four-point lead again for Houston. (Houston, 65-61 | :12, 2nd)

- V.J. Edgecome hits two free throws, and it's a two-point game again. (Houston, 63-61 | :13, 2nd)

- Baylor with a chance to tie it up but misses. Mylik Wilson grabs the board. LJ Cryer gets fouled in the double bonus and hits them both. (Houston, 63-59 | :19, 2nd)

- And Baylor steps up and hits another 3. Two-point Houston lead entering the final minute. (Houston, 61-59 | 1:00, 2nd)

- V.J. Edgecombe then commits his fourth foul, putting Milos Uzan on the line. Makes 1-of-2. (Houston, 61-56 | 1:30, 2nd)

- V.J. Edgecombe knocks down a 3, and Houston is up four with two minutes to go. (Houston, 60-56 | 2:00, 2nd)

- In the first half, Emanuel Sharp and J'Wan Roberts combined for just two points. In the second half, they have combined to score 18 points. (Houston, 58-52 | 3:39, 2nd)

- Emanuel Sharp picks up his third foul. Baylor is going to go to the line following the final media time out. (Houston, 58-50 | 3:39, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Emanuel Sharp knocks one down, and the Cougar lead is now double digits. (Houston, 58-48 | 6:00, 2nd)

- Houston is 11-of-17 shooting in the second half, or 64.7%. Pretty, pretty good. (Houston, 54-46 | 7:00, 2nd)

- Under-8 time out and Houston is still in command, up nine. (Houston, 54-45 | 7:41, 2nd)

- Emanuel Sharp hits both free throws after the Flagrant 1, and Houston now with its largest lead. Then Sharp breaks the press and takes it in for four fast points. Cougars now in control. (Houston, 52-43 | 8:55, 2nd)

- Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe is called for a Flagrant 1 foul after taking a hand to the face of Emanuel Sharp. Houston will get two free throws and possession of the ball. Cougars can really bust this one open here.

- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Milos Uzan misses a 3, but Ja'Vier Francis is right there to slam it back home. Another big dunk in the second half from Francis, and Scott Drew wants a time out. Cougars now on a 14-2 run. (Houston, 46-41 | 10:14, 2nd)

- J'Wan Roberts closing in on a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

- Houston back in front as Ja'Vier Francis drives baseline for a throw down. (Houston, 42-41 | 11:56, 2nd)

- Houston on a 6-0 run, capped by a offensive rebound and follow from Joseph Tugler. (Baylor, 39-38 | 14:45, 2nd)

- A milestone for J'Wan Roberts. He grabbed his 1,000th career rebound and is now the fourth in program history to score at least 1,000 points and grab at least 1,000 boards, joining Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Greg Anderson. (Baylor, 39-34 | 15:48, 2nd)

- HOUSTON THREE-POINT PLAY. J'Wan Roberts completes a shot in the lane while drawing a foul, and he steps to the line and completes the three-point play. Houston really needed that one. (Baylor, 36-32 | 17:30, 2nd)

- Baylor builds a seven-point lead as Norchad Omier slams one down. (Baylor, 36-29 | 18:01, 2nd)

HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- Baylor takes a three-point lead at the break. Freshman V.J. Edgecombe had 9 points for the Bears. For Houston, LJ Cryer had 15 points and went 5-for-5 from 3-point range. The rest of the Cougars went 1-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first half.

FIRST HALF

- Baylor regains the lead as Norchad Omier knocks down a triple. (Baylor, 29-26 | 2:03, 2nd)

- LJ Cryer with 15 points already for Houston, and is a perfect 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Think he was eager to get back to Waco? (26-26 | 3:16, 1st)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Baylor built a four-point lead, but LJ Cryer knocks down a huge trey to stop the Bears' momentum. (Baylor, 22-21 | 5:50, 1st)

- Baylor hanging tough with Houston past the midway point of the opening half, and have tied up the Cougars. (18-18 | 8:07, 1st)

- Good start for Houston so far, in particular graduate guard LJ Cryer. The former Baylor player has 9 of the Cougars' first 15 points. (Houston, 15-11 | 11:18, 1st)

PREGAME

- Live from the Foster Pavilion in Waco, the Houston Cougars attempt to finish off a 19-1 Big 12 slate as they get set to take on Baylor.

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Buck Ringgold
BUCK RINGGOLD

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