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Houston clinches outright Big 12 regular season title behind big day from LJ Cryer

Cryer scores his 1,000th career point as a Cougar as Houston continues roll
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Houston's LJ Cryer (with ball)
Houston's LJ Cryer (with ball) | Michael C. Johnson/Imagn Images

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Houston CougarsCincinnati Bearcats

Houston claiming the outright Big 12 Conference regular season championship seemed to be a foregone conclusion as the Cougars kept racking up wins.

Behind a memorable day from graduate guard LJ Cryer, the Cougars made it official on Saturday afternoon. Cryer led the Cougars with 20 points, including scoring his 1,000th career point in a Houston uniform as the Cougars wrapped up the Big 12 with a 73-64 win against Cincinnati at the Fertitta Center.

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In just two seasons in the league, Houston has grabbed back-to-back Big 12 championships. It also extends a personal streak for Cryer, who has now been a part of four straight Big 12 title teams, having played at Baylor the first two years of that streak.

Houston (25-4, 17-1) has now won 21 of its last 22 ballgames, with the lone defeat in that span a one-point overtime loss at home to Texas Tech on Feb. 1. The Cougars, who will be the top seed at the Big 12 tournament later this month in Kansas City, end the regular season with a home game Monday night against Kansas and a road game next Saturday at Baylor.

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Cryer became the 53rd player in program history to reach the 1,000-point club. He achieved that with 50 seconds left after converting two free throws.

It was the second time this season a Cougar reached 1,000 points in a Houston uniform, as graduate forward J’Wan Roberts achieved that feat earlier.

In his 20-point outing, Cryer went 7-of-13 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line while making two 3’s.

It took the Cougars a while to get going this Saturday, trailing Cincinnati 10-2. But Houston reeled off 14 straight points to go in front for good, 16-10, with less than eight minutes left in the opening half as six different Cougars scored during that spurt.

Later, after the Bearcats got to within five, Houston went on an 8-0 run for a 30-17 lead, capped by a Terrance Arceneaux layup with 2:45 left in the half. The Cougars later built a 15-point lead inside the final minute of the half, 37-22, when junior guard Emanuel Sharp hit a 3.

Early in the second half, Cincinnati cut Houston’s lead to seven before the Cougars scored nine of the next 11 points for a 48-34 advantage. The Cougars were able to maintain a double digit lead until the game’s closing minute.

Houston’s biggest lead was 19 points, 65-46, when Cryer knocked down a 3 with less than seven minutes to go.

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Arceneaux, a sophomore guard, was the other Cougar to reach double figures with 10 points, making 5-of-8 shots from the field.

Houston shot 53.6% from the field (30-of-56), including 60% in the second half (15-of-25).Β 

Day Day Thomas had 19 points and Jizzle James 18 to lead Cincinnati (17-12, 7-11).

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Buck Ringgold
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