Houston defeats Colorado: Score, live updates of Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal game
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After winning the Big 12 Conference regular-season championship, Houston now aims to win the conference tournament.
The Cougars, who went 19-1 in Big 12 play, passed their opening test in doing that, though it was a bit uneven at times. Houston, the No. 1 seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, was pushed by a No. 16 seeded Colorado team seeking to win three straight tournament games in three days, but the Cougars eventually ended up with yet another win, downing the Buffaloes, 77-68, in Thursday's quarterfinals at Kansas City's T-Mobile Center.
Houston (28-4) picked up its 11th straight win and have now won 24 of its last 25. The Cougars now move on to face BYU in Friday's semifinals. BYU, which beat Iowa State in its quarterfinal earlier on Thursday, has now won nine straight games and is seeking to avenge a 31-point loss to Houston in early January.
Colorado (14-20) had been the talk of the Big 12 tourney. Despite being seeded No. 16, the Buffaloes advanced to the quarterfinals after having knocked off No. 9 seed TCU and then No. 8 seed West Virginia.
The Buffs continued to hang tough, trailing Houston by five at halftime. But the Cougars - despite an ankle injury to graduate forward J'Wan Roberts in the second half - did more than enough to avoid being the Buffaloes' third straight upset victim.
Junior guard Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars with 19 points and also hit four 3-pointers before fouling out late. Graduate guard LJ Cryer and junior point guard Milos Uzan each had 14 points, with all 14 of Uzan's points coming after halftime.
Then sophomore forward Joseph Tugler added 10 points and nearly had a double-double, recording nine 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 77, COLORADO 68 FINAL
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POSTGAME STATS AND ANALYSIS
- Houston shot 49% from the field (24-of-49), while Colorado converted 40.4% of its field goals (23-of-57).
- Colorado's Andrej Jakimovski had 25 points and led all scorers. He also hit four 3's. Bangot Dak added 10 for the Buffs.
- Four players in double figures for Houston in its quarterfinal win. Emanuel Sharp had 19 points and made four 3's, while LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan each had 14 points, with all 14 of Uzan's points in the second half. Joseph Tugler nearly had a double-double, getting 10 points and grabbing nine boards.
- An inconsistent performance from Houston today, but the Cougars did enough to pull away from the Buffaloes. Now that sets up a tantalizing semifinal Friday against BYU, a team Houston romped past at the Fertitta Center in early January. But this BYU team has gotten much better since then.
SECOND HALF
- Emanuel Sharp picks up his fifth foul and leaves the game with 19 points. (Houston, 72-62 | 1:51, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And another one from Milos Uzan, a step-back triple. Uzan has scored all 12 of his points in the second half. (Houston, 72-58 | 3:45, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Up by eight, Milos Uzan drains one from the top of the key. Huge shot to quell some Colorado momentum. (Houston, 69-58 | 5:30, 2nd)
- Houston in some foul trouble. Ja'Vier Francis now with his fourth person, joining Emanuel Sharp and Terrance Arceneaux. And Colorado is back within single digits, cutting the Cougar lead to nine. (Houston, 65-56 | 6:30, 2nd)
- Mercy Miller scores his first career postseason point for Houston, going 1-of-2 at the foul line coming out of the under-8 time out. (Houston, 65-51 | 7:27, 2nd)
- Colorado misses a 3, and Mercy Miller grabs the board while being fouled at the under-8 time out. LJ Cryer has 12 points for Houston so far. (Houston, 64-51 | 7:30, 2nd)
- Emanuel Sharp picks up his fourth foul, and Mercy Miller is coming in. And yes, Master P is in the house. (Houston, 60-51 | 9:05, 2nd)
- Houston has shot 63.6% in the second half (7-of-11). JoJo Tugler has three of those made field goals. (Houston, 59-45 | 11:12, 2nd)
- Milos Uzan has had a quiet day so far, but he finally gets in the scoring column by getting baskets on back-to-back possessions, the latter a nifty reverse layup. Houston starting to gradually take over. (Houston, 59-45 | 11:30, 2nd)
- THREE-POINT PLAY HOUSTON. Emanuel Sharp wins an individual battle, going in strong to the rim while picking up a foul. He completes the three-point play. (Houston, 51-41 | 13:55, 2nd)
- Emanuel Sharp just picked up his third foul. Colorado still having a chance in this game.
- J'Wan Roberts with a sprained right ankle, but he has returned to the bench and we'll see if he goes back in. (Houston, 48-41 | 15:15, 2nd)
J'Wan Roberts sprained his right ankle
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 13, 2025
Went to locker room to add tape
Probable to return#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
- J'Wan Roberts watching the game on a monitor back in the locker room as he waits to get his ankle checked on. First media time out of the second half is here. (Houston, 48-39 | 16:00, 2nd)
- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Pick-and-roll action, and Milos Uzan lobs it up to Ja'Vier Francis, who throws it home. (Houston, 48-37 | 16:20, 2nd)
- J'Wan Roberts is going back to the locker room to have an X-ray done on his right ankle. No word on if he will return to the game.
- JoJo Tugler giving Houston a lift in the second half. Already with three baskets and the Cougar lead is back into double digits. (Houston, 46-35 | 17:10, 2nd)
- J'Wan Roberts steps on the foot of a Colorado defender while going in for a basket and he's being helped on the sideline. Looks like they're working on his right ankle. (Houston, 44-35 | 17:56, 2nd)
- Houston forces a turnover right from the get-go, as Joseph Tugler comes up with a steal and then goes all the way for a layup. (Houston, 40-33 | 19:50, 2nd)
- The second half is now under way.
HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS
- Houston has forced seven turnovers, but have scored only two points off of those. Cougars have turned it over six times, and Colorado has scored 11 points from those.
- Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars in the first half with 14 points, going 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Colorado's Andrej Jakimovski leads all scorers with 16 points. Buffaloes went 42.9% from the field (12-of-28), Houston is 48.1% (13-of-27).
- Apparently during that late time out that Kelvin Sampson called, he wrote one thing on his whiteboard and showed it to his players - "ARROGANT."
- Colorado was within five and had the ball to end the first half but turned it over, and Houston remains up five at the break.
FIRST HALF
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And yet again, Emanuel Sharp knocks one down, this time from about 40 feet. (Houston, 38-30 | 2:02, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Emanuel Sharp breaks the Colorado run with a 3 from the corner. It's also his 1,000th career point, yet another milestone by a Cougar player this season. (Houston, 35-27 | 3:20, 1st)
- Colorado currently on an 8-0 run and Houston has been held scoreless for more than two minutes.
- Houston playing a bit sloppy, and Colorado is taking advantage, with the Buffaloes making it a five-point game after knocking down a 3. Kelvin Sampson calls a time out and wondering what choice words he is having for his players in the huddle right now. (Houston, 32-27 | 3:41, 1st)
- On-court collison between Ja'Vier Francis and a Colorado player, Sebastian Rancik, going after a rebound. Francis is back up on his feet, but they're still checking on Rancik. Update: Rancik being helped off the court and taken to the locker room with an apparent leg injury. (Houston, 28-19 | 6:13, 1st)
- Under-8 time out and Houston still remains in control. (Houston, 26-15 | 7:54, 1st)
- Colorado breaks that field-goal drought when Trevor Baskin blows past Emanuel Sharp and takes it in while being fouled. Baskin completes the three-point play. (Houston, 21-10 | 10:30, 1st)
- Colorado hasn't scored a field goal in more than five minutes, and the Buffs have made four turnovers. Houston's defense already on point so far. (Houston, 21-7 | 10:50, 1st)
- Houston currently on a 12-0 run as Colorado coach Tad Boyle calls time out. (Houston, 21-7 | 11:55, 1st)
- Freshman Mercy Miller, the son of Master P, is already checking in. ESPN's broadcasters said they can't recall the earliest Miller has ever checked into a ballgame until now. (Houston, 19-7 | 12:45, 1st)
- Houston's depth is already starting to show up, as Mylik Wilson and Terrance Arceneaux keeps the Cougars' energy going with baskets. (Houston, 15-7 | 13:50, 1st)
- First media time out, and Houston has scored 11 of the last 16 points. J'Wan Roberts with an impressive shot in the lane for the Coogs' last basket. (Houston, 11-7 | 15:35, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ Cryer hits it from deep again. The graduate guard is off to a fantastic start. (Houston, 9-5 | 17:15, 1st)
- BACK-TO-BACK 3-POINTERS HOUSTON. After spotting Colorado a 2-0 lead, LJ Cryer hits a 3 and then Emanuel Sharp drains a trey on the Cougars' next possession. (Houston, 6-2 | 18:25, 1st)
- We are now under way from the T-Mobile Center.
PREGAME
- The usual starting 5 for Houston. Guards Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp, and forwards J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler.
- Coming to you from Kansas City, as Houston gets set for its opening game at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The top-seeded Cougars face No. 16 seed Colorado, seeking to pull off its third upset at the tournament in as many days.
