Houston Cougars Fall in Big 12 Championship

0:00On March 15th, the Houston Cougars powered through the Big 12 tournament as the number two seed with a double buy. They handled Brigham Young University and Kansas to advance to the championship against top-seated Arizona. This set up a key rematch after Arizona's regular season win over Houston and the Cougars title grab from last year. On Saturday afternoon, Arizona pulled out a close 79-74 victory. Houston fought from behind most of the game, facing a 15-point deficit late in the second half. Their bench provided a spark, with guards and forwards stepping up to score all 23 points from the reserves. Mercy Miller led with 13 points and 7 rebounds, while Chase McCarty added 10 in limited minutes. Those efforts outscored Arizona's bench, 23-6 but fell short against steady free throw shooting. Finishing the year 28 wins and 6 losses, Houston now eyes a strong NCAA tournament seed and favorable early matchup when play begins. March 17th.