Houston Cougars On SI

Houston rolls past BYU: Score, live updates of Big 12 Tournament semifinal contest

Emanuel Sharp scores 26 points as Houston's Cougars cruise into the Big 12 title game

Buck Ringgold

Houston guard Emanuel Sharp (with ball)
Houston guard Emanuel Sharp (with ball) / Michael C. Johnson/Imagn Images
In this story:

Two months ago, Houston drilled BYU at the Fertitta Center.

But while the Cougars from Provo had been just as hot as the Cougars who won the regular-season Big 12 Conference championship, Houston's Cougars once again bullied BYU. This time, Houston scored the first 15 points en route to a convincing 74-54 win in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship semifinals at Kansas City.

How to watch, stream Houston basketball vs. BYU: TV channel, predictions

Houston, which beat BYU by 31 points in early January, has currently won 12 straight games and 25 out of its last 26. The Cougars (29-4) will take on Arizona - which beat Texas Tech in Friday's other semifinal - in Saturday's Big 12 championship game, set for 5 p.m.

BYU had come in having won nine straight ballgames. On Thursday, BYU outlasted Iowa State, 96-92, in a Big 12 quarterfinal, making 18 3-pointers in the process.

But those treys were hard to come by against Houston's defense on Friday. BYU was held to just six made 3's, finishing 21.4% beyond the arc (6-of-28). Houston junior guard Emanuel Sharp made one fewer 3 than the entire BYU team, going 5-of-7 from distance as part of his game-high 26 points.

Sharp, who had 19 points in Houston's quarterfinal win against Colorado, also made all seven of his free-throw attempts.

LJ Cryer added 20 points and had four made 3's, while Milos Uzan added 14 points and registered five assists. Houston, which was playing without graduate forward J'Wan Roberts, who sat out Friday's game after spraining his right ankle in Thursday's quarterfinal, also got a big lift from Mylik Wilson, who grabbed 13 rebounds.

Follow Houston Cougars On SI writer Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from Kansas City's T-Mobile Center. Refresh for the latest score and live updates.

HOUSTON 74, BYU 54 FINAL

Refresh for the latest updates.

POSTGAME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- Houston shot 41.8 percent from the field (23-of-55) and 38.5% from long range (10-of-26). BYU was held to 31.7% from the field (19-of-60) and 21.4% from distance (6-of-28).

- Also in double figures for Houston were LJ Cryer with 20 points, along with four 3's, and Milos Uzan had 14 points and five assists. And give it up to Mylik Wilson, who came off the bench and grabbed 13 rebounds. Cougars were just fine without J'Wan Roberts.

- Emanuel Sharp was Houston's top scorer for the second straight day, scoring 26 points and went 5-of-7 from 3-point range and made all seven of his foul shots. Sharp made one fewer 3 than BYU did as a team the entire game.

- Another thorough evisceration by Houston on BYU for the second time this season, winning by 31 in January and now by 20 in the Big 12 semifinals.

SECOND HALF

- Houston to play either Arizona or Texas Tech in Saturday evening's Big 12 title game. (Houston, 71-54 | 1:36, 2nd)

- After attempting 16 3-pointers in the first half, BYU has attempted just three 3's in the second half. This a day after MAKING 18 3's Thursday in the win against Iowa State. (Houston, 60-44 | 7:03, 2nd)

- Halfway through the second, and Houston is now up 20 after LJ Cryer knocks down a 3. (Houston, 56-36 | 9:59, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And another 3 from Emanuel Sharp, who now has 19 points, same as he had Thursday. Sharp is on track to be the MVP of this tournament. (Houston, 51-32 | 12:10, 2nd)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Coming out of a time out, Houston gets some momentum back as Emanuel Sharp knocks down a corner 3. (Houston, 48-32 | 13:20, 2nd)

- BYU on an 8-0 run, capped by a slam from Richie Saunders. (Houston, 45-32 | 13:27, 2nd)

- BYU coming out of the locker room with a little more pepper. But Houston is still in command for now. (Houston, 45-28 | 15:26, 2nd)

- Second half action from KC is under way.

HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS

- Emanuel Sharp with 13 points and LJ Cryer with 12. Both have hit two 3-pointers each. Houston also has five blocks, two each from JoJo Tugler and Mylik Wilson.

- BYU was held to 20 percent shooting (6-of-30) and 18.8% from 3-point range (3-of-16). BYU also turned it over nine times. Houston is 45.2% from the field (14-of-31).

FIRST HALF

- Everything going Houston's way. An LJ Cryer 3 bounces around and through, and Houston is now up by 20 late in the half. Cryer now with 12 points. (Houston, 40-20 | :40, 1st)

- BYU has more turnovers (7) than made field goals (5). Houston, meanwhile, got 3's from Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan to regain its earlier double-digit advantage. (Houston, 31-18 | 3:12, 1st)

- BYU starting to show signs of life. They get within single digits as Richie Saunders pulls up and knocks down a 3. But after getting a defensive rebound on Houston's next possession, BYU travels. Five turnovers now for BYU. (Houston, 23-14 | 7:47 | 1st)

- Second media time out of the game. BYU is 1-of-9 from 3-point range, which translates to 11.1 percent. (Houston, 19-6 | 10:58, 1st)

- BYU finally gets a 3-pointer to drop, by Trey Stewart, but Stewart is quickly whistled for a technical foul for jawing. Houston then makes the two technical foul free throws on the other end. (Houston, 19-6, 12:00, 1st)

- BYU finally gets on the scoreboard with a three-point play nearly seven minutes in. (Houston, 15-3 | 13:17, 1st)

- SLAM DUNK, 3-POINTER AND FOUR-POINT PLAY HOUSTON. Holy mackerel, what a start for Houston. Mylik Wilson drives the lane for a slam; then after BYU misses on the other end, Emanuel Sharp gets fouled on a 3, which goes in. Sharp then finishes off the four-point play. (Houston, 15-0 | 13:35, 1st)

- And BYU turns it over again and on its next possession airballs a 3. 0-for-7 now, 0-6 from 3-point land. (Houston, 9-0 | 14:20, 1st)

- BYU off to a horrific start. Cougars already 0-for-5 from the field, 0-for-4 from 3-point range and have committed three turnovers. Milos Uzan, meanwhile, can't miss as he has hit a pair of mid-range jumpers to extend the lead even more. (Houston, 9-0 | 15:37, 1st)

- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer with the triple, and he has had at least one trey in 23 straight games now. (Houston, 5-0 | 17:30, 1st)

- We are now under way in Kansas City.

PREGAME

- With J'Wan Roberts out, Kelvin Sampson is going to a four-guard lineup to start things off with Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and Terrance Arceneaux. Joseph Tugler still starts at forward.

- One big question going into this game has been answered. Graduate forward J'Wan Roberts has been ruled out of tonight's game due to the right ankle injury he sustained early in the second half of Thursday's quarterfinal win against Colorado.

- Coming to you from the T-Mobile Center, as Houston's Cougars get set to take on BYU's Cougars in a Big 12 tournament semifinal.

Published |Modified
Buck Ringgold
BUCK RINGGOLD

Home/Basketball