Houston Basketball Falls Short in Big Twelve Tourney

0:00On March 15, Houston's men's basketball team fell short in the Big 12 Tournament Championship, dropping a tight 79-74. Decision to Arizona on Saturday evening in Kansas City, Missouri. The Wildcats pulled ahead early and held the lead for most of the game, dominating with 30 points in the paint thanks to their freshman stars, Coa, Pete and Braden Burries, who each scored 21 points. This win gave Arizona revenge after Houston beat them 72-64 in last season's title game. The Cougar struggled to contain Arizona's inside attack and got into foul trouble, which side-mind key players like a manual sharp and Chris Sinek. Jr. for stretches. Houston mounted a strong comeback in the second half, ripping off a 14-to-nothing run with 10 straight defensive stops to cut the lead to just two points. Joseph Tuggler led the charge with a career high 20 points and 10 rebounds while the bench stepped up big as Mercy Miller added 13 points and seven boards and Chase McCarty chipped in 10.

1:02Both teams showed why their conference powerhouses, but Arizona sealed it by getting to the free-throw line 13 more times in Houston. Now the Cougars turned their focus to Selection Sunday on March 15 at 5 p.m., where they'll learn their NCAA tournament path. Even without the tournament trophy, Houston remains one of the top favorites to go all the way in the big dance starting next week.