No. 7 Houston Rallies to Defeat Baylor 77-64, Secures Big 12 Tournament Positioning

HOUSTON (AP) – Freshman guard Kingston Flemings scored 21 points with seven assists, and senior Emanuel Sharp added 19 points as the No. 7 University of Houston Men’s Basketball team overcame a slow start to defeat Baylor 77-64 Wednesday night at the Fertitta Center.

The Cougars (25-5, 13-4 Big 12) used a dominant second-half run to secure the victory over the Bears (15-15, 5-12). Sharp’s performance also pushed his Houston career total to 294 three-pointers.

Second-Half Surge Propels Houston

Trailing 58-54 with approximately eight minutes remaining, Houston unleashed a 23-4 run, taking a commanding 77-62 lead after two free throws by junior forward Joseph Tugler with 1:21 left. Sharp’s three-pointer with 7:16 remaining gave Houston the lead for great. Baylor managed just 2-of-9 shooting in the final eight minutes.

First-Half Comeback

Baylor built an early lead, going up 29-19 with 5:47 remaining in the first half. Yet, Houston responded with a 16-6 run to tie the game at 35 heading into halftime, fueled by eight points from Flemings during the stretch.

Key Contributors

Tugler finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while senior point guard Milos Uzan contributed 12 points for the Cougars. For Baylor, Tounde Yessoufou led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, followed by Caden Powell with 12 points, and Cameron Carr and Obi Agbim with 11 points each.

Tournament Implications

With the win, Houston will be either the #2 or #3 seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. The Cougars can clinch the #2 seed with a victory at Oklahoma State on Saturday or a Texas Tech loss at BYU. Houston will open the tournament in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12.

Lineup Change

Houston utilized a different starting lineup for only the second time this season, featuring Flemings, Sharp, Uzan, Ramon Walker Jr., and Kalifa Sakho. The previous starting five of Flemings, Uzan, Sharp, Tugler, and Chris Cenac Jr. Had been used for the first 29 games.

Dominant Home Record

The Cougars concluded their home schedule with a 15-1 record, having won 53 of their last 55 games at the Fertitta Center.

Up Next

Houston will conclude its regular season schedule at Oklahoma State on Saturday, March 7, at 11 a.m. CST, with the game broadcast on CBS. Following that, the team will compete in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.