Houston vs Arizona Big 12 Championship Live Updates, Box Score
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The rematch is here. The 2026 Big 12 Tournament Championship is bound to be special featuring two of the best teams in college basketball.
The No. 5 Houston Cougars take on the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats for the Big 12 tournament title in what is expected to be another incredible matchup that is worthy of a Final Four or National Championship. The Cougars are now 28-5 overall while the Wildcats are 31-2. This is a rematch of last year's Big 12 championship where Houston won its first Big 12 tournament title 72-64.
Houston has faced Arizona earlier this year at home in the Fertitta Center in what was the first top-four matchup in the history of the building and the Wildcats ended up winning somewhat comfortably in the end 73-66. Arizona was without freshman guard Koa Peat and still became just the eighth team to win at Fertitta Center. It will be interesting to see what takes place the second time around.
Houston, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, completely ran over No. 3 seed Kansas 69-47 in one of the best defensive performances of the year. Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings was the leading scorer with 21 points, and freshman big man Chris Cenac Jr. added 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Flemings is the leading scorer with 16.6 points per game while senior guard Emanuel Sharp is second with 15.5 PPG. This is Houston's eighth straight conference tournament final appearance.
Coogs vs Wildcats
Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, beat No. 5 seed Iowa State in one of the best games of the year 82-80, where senior point guard Jaden Bradley knocked down an incredible game winner at the buzzer. Freshman guard Brayden Burries is the leading scorer for the Wildcats with 15.8 points per game while freshman forward Koa Peat is second with 13.4 PPG
Arizona started the season off with a 23-game winning streak. Houston leads the all-time series 8-7. Head coach Tommy Lloyd got his first win against Kelvin Sampson and Houston last month, and now has a 1-3 record.
Houston faces off against Arizona in Kansas City. Be sure to check back here at tipoff for live updates as the game goes on.
Follow below for live updates as the game progresses.
Live Updates
1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
Houston | 36 | 38 | 74 |
Arizona | 44 | 35 | 79 |
Starting Lineup: G Kingston Flemings, G Milos Uzan, G Emanuel Sharp, F Joseph Tugler, F Chris Cenac Jr.
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 7, Arizona 5
Arizona gets out to a quick 5-0 lead, but Houston responds with a 7-0 run thanks to Sharp and Uzan in the paint as well as Cenac Jr. who picks up where he left off against Kansas with a 3-pointer.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 14, Arizona 16
The Cougars and Wildcats are going back and forth in this tight start. Both defenses have done well, but Bradley is off to a hot start for Arizona. Tough shots are being made in the paint.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 20, Arizona 22
Arizona got the lead up to eight thanks to a 6-0 run, but Houston responded and brought it down to two thanks to Tugler's offense.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 33, Arizona 33
Arizona was getting to the free throw line successfully, while Tugler was doing great scoring on offense with his moves in the paint. Mercy Miller hit a 3-pointer and put up good minutes off the bench. Houston tied the game on a tip-in by Flemings.
HALFTIME: Houston 36, Arizona 44
Burries heated up before the half with back-to-back 3-pointers and a layup. Miller scored a couple before the halftime, but the Cougars were still down eight after an 11-3 run to close the half from the Wildcats. Both teams shot 50% from the field, but Arizona had five more points off five Houston turnovers. Burries, Bradley and Peat were each in double digits, while Flemings only had six. Tugler was the leading scorer with 10, and Miller had eight.
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 39, Arizona 53
Arizona started taking over the game with a 12 point lead that made Sampson call a quick timeout. The Wildcats further upped that to 15 and went on a 7-0 run to start the second half. Bradley went to the locker room with a wrist injury.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 47, Arizona 59
Every time Houston would make a shot, Arizona responded with a bucket from its variety of scorers. Houston was only able to bring the lead down to 12. Peat is really affecting the game in the paint.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 58, Arizona 61
The Cougars roared back into the game with a crucial 14-0 run over a stretch of five minutes where the defense was on lock down. Houston's intensity on defense was impressive, while the offense was great in drawing fouls while attacking the basket even with Flemings on the bench. Miller continues to impress off the bench, while Tugler and Uzan were good inside.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 62, Arizona 69
The Wildcats responded in much needed fashion and got the lead back up to seven thanks to Karchenkov scoring five points, and the defense picking up.
FINAL: Houston 74, Arizona 79
The Cougars' fierce comeback comes up just short and even with a 6-0 run within 16 seconds. Houston slightly improved for its first performance against Arizona, but still could not come out on top. Arizona knocked down its free throws and made some crucial buckets late as well as an offensive rebound. Four starters for Arizona put up double digits including 21 from Peat and Burries. Houston shot 44% from the field.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.