University of Houston Athletics
Houston’s Big 12 Moments
7/12/2023 3:45:00 PM | Baseball, Football, General, Men's Basketball, Softball, Women's Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball
Reflecting on the Cougars’ successes against current Big 12 members
HOUSTON – As the University of Houston approaches its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference, we commemorate this special moment in history by reflecting on key victories and memorable games against the Cougars new league home.
What is your favorite memory against a current Big 12 opponent? Head over to @UHCougars on Twitter or @houstoncougars on Instagram and let us know!
FOOTBALL
Houston 45, #5 Oklahoma State 35 – Sept. 12, 2009
A big test awaiting on the first road game of the 2009 season saw Houston football step into Stillwater, Okla., and upset No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State 45-35.
With the Cougars leading 24-7 at halftime, the Cowboys came back to take their first lead at 28-24 heading into the fourth quarter. Trailing 35-31, Houston drove down the field and capped off an 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal from quarterback Case Keenum to running back Bryce Beall to lead 38-35.
With under four minutes left to play, cornerback Jamal Robinson sealed the victory with a 26-yard pick six to stun Oklahoma State and put the game out of reach. Keenum led the Cougars with 366 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to cap off a hard-fought historic victory for the program.
SOFTBALL
Houston 4, #7 Oklahoma State 2 – March 13, 2021
In the last of three games in Oklahoma City, the Houston softball team handed No. 7 ranked Oklahoma State only its second loss of the season as it upset the Cowgirls.
Oklahoma State took the early lead with two runs in the first inning to lead 2-0. After a scoreless second inning, third baseman Sarah Queen changed the game with one swing as she cracked a three-run home run to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead in the top of the third. Queen returned for more as she added an insurance run with an RBI single to double the Houston lead at 4-2.
The Cowboys had their chances, having stranded three runners on base as the Cougars secured a victory over a ranked opponent for the sixth consecutive season.
VOLLEYBALL
Houston 3, #19 Texas 1– Oct. 22, 1994
The Houston volleyball team extended its winning streak to 10 games as it cruised past Texas winning three sets to one in 1994.
Texas won the first set 15-13, but the Cougars held on to its momentum and won the second set 15-8. Houston had the upper hand throughout the third and fourth sets, breezing past to win both sets 15-8 and 15-5.
Hitter Lilly Denoon-Chester recorded 18 hits and 18 digs, as her play helped the Cougars improve to 13-3 overall on the season and led the Southwestern Conference with three conference games left to play.
FOOTBALL
Houston 33, #3 Oklahoma 23 – Sept. 3, 2016
Coming off a 13-1 record, its American Athletic Conference Championship and a Peach Bowl win in 2015, the Houston football team opened the 2016 season in dominant fashion with a 33-23 upset victory over No. 3-ranked Oklahoma at NRG Stadium.
Trading scores throughout the first half, the Cougars took a 19-17 lead heading into the locker rooms after a 47-yard field goal as time expired. The third quarter produced an all-time Houston highlight as cornerback Brandon Wilson returned an Oklahoma missed field goal attempt from deep inside the Cougars' end zone 100 yards to the house to extend the lead to 26-17. Another touchdown for both teams rounded out the scoring as the Cougars opened their season with a 33-23 victory.
The victory marked back-to-back wins against top-10 ranked opponents for the first time in program history dating back to the 2015 Peach Bowl win against then No. 9-ranked Florida State.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 64, #14 Texas Tech 53 – Nov. 29, 2020
A first big test for the Cougars saw the Houston men's basketball team cruise past No. 14 ranked Texas Tech 64-53 on a neutral court at Dickies Arena.
The early going proved a test for both teams, but the Cougars managed to string together several runs and grow its lead to 37-19 at the break. The Red Raiders responded in kind with more offense in the second half, but the Cougars did not slow down, as Houston never surrendered the lead and secured the win.
The victory marked back-to-back wins against Texas Tech as Houston continued its undefeated start to the season at 3-0.
VOLLEYBALL
Houston 3, Texas Tech 0 – Feb. 25, 2021
Riding a seven-game winning streak, Houston volleyball swept Texas Tech at the Athletics/Alumni Center in straight sets to remain undefeated at home.
After both teams battled things out to start the match, the Cougars opened a five-point lead at 13-8, thanks in large part to outside hitter Abbie Jackson. Houston maintained its five-point edge until Texas Tech brought the score to within four at 16-12. The Cougars responded right away though, as another 5-0 run put Houston in front 21-12, where the Cougars never looked back in route to the 25-17 set victory.
Texas Tech opened the second set with an early 5-2 lead, but the Cougars wasted no time finding a rebuttal. Neither team was able to gain more than at two-point edge on the other until a 4-0 run from Houston put the Cougars in front 23-19. After the Red Raiders battled back with a 3-0 run of their own, Houston closed out the set scoring two of the final three points to win 25-23 and take a 2-0 match lead.
The Cougars never backed down and after trailing late in the third set, Houston rallied back to win 26-24 and win the match 3-0.
BASEBALL
Houston 3, Texas 2 – April 12, 2016
No. 25 Houston Baseball used timely hitting and a dominating pitching performance by three Cougars to earn a 3-2 win over Texas for victory No. 20 on the year at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.
Pitcher Bubba Maxwell made his first career start as a Cougar and showed well, surrendering just one run on two hits with no walks in 4.1 innings, while fanning two. He managed to retire the first 12 batters he faced. Infielder Justin Montemayor drove in the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning to break up the 2-2 tie an finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI.
SOCCER
Houston 3, Oklahoma 1 – Aug. 19, 2021
The Houston soccer team produced a stellar performance to kick off the 2021 season with a 3-1 victory over Oklahoma. An early Cougars surge opened the way for midfielder Ava Alaniz to score the first goal of the match in the 18th minute.
Oklahoma leveled the score in the 27th minute as the halftime whistle blew to a 1-1 score line. Despite a stalemate to open the second half, the Cougars regained the 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, midfielder Cordelia Cross added the insurance goal in the 67th minute to help secure the 3-1 victory and open the season in the win column.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 80, UCF 42 – Jan. 10, 2023
The University of Houston women's basketball team defeated UCF 80-42 for a final time in American Athletic Conference action, to remain undefeated in conference play at the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars were led by forward Bria Patterson's 18 points, who went an outstanding for 9 from the field. Forward Kamryn Jones collected 14 points and eight rebounds, with forward Tatyana Hill adding 13 points to the victory.
The last time the Cougars won by 35 points or more was on Feb. 10, 2021, beating Temple by 37 points. It also marks the first time Houston scored 80+ points in a conference game since Feb. 23, 2022 (80 points vs. Temple).
SOFTBALL
Houston 2, #5 Oklahoma 1 – March 6, 2004
Outfielder Lindsay Durham's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scored the go ahead run, and pitcher Jenny Johnson slammed the door on the potent Sooner bats, as the University of Houston defeated No. 5 Oklahoma, 2-1.
The Cougars took the early in the second inning as left fielder Brooke Johnson scored on a wild pitch. Oklahoma countered in the top of third to tie the score at 1-1. In the fourth inning both shortstop Jaci Gonzalez and Johnson reached base on a walk and error, respectively, with Gonzalez reaching third on the errant throw by the Oklahoma catcher. Durham lofted a fly ball down the left field line into foul territory, but it was deep enough to score Gonzalez with the go-ahead run.
FOOTBALL
Houston 29, Texas Tech 28 – Sept. 27, 2009
Entering the ranking for the first time in 18 years after a 45-35 upset victory over then-No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State, the No. 17-ranked Houston football team overcame another fourth quarter deficit to defeat Texas Tech 29-28 at home.
The Cougars trailed 21-13 at the half and 28-23 entering the fourth quarter, looking to spark another comeback for the second week. Scoreless through most of the fourth quarter, Houston struck gold as quarterback Case Keenum found the end zone on a 4-yard rush to put the Cougars in front 29-28 with 49 seconds left to play.
Texas Tech pushed near midfield for one last chance to survive, but the Houston defense secured the win and knocked off a Big 12 opponent for the second week in a row.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 72, Oklahoma State 61 – Dec. 18, 2021
An all-around stellar team performance on a neutral court saw the Houston men's basketball team defeat Oklahoma State 72-61 at Dickies Arena.
The Cougars got off to the right start and carried the lead into the locker rooms at 35-30. The Cowboys pulled a comeback bid but failed to make up lost ground as Houston remained in front throughout the second half.
Leading by as many as 12 during the second half, Houston locked up defensively and pulled out the victory to hit the 10-win mark on the year. Guard Jamal Shead led the Cougars in scoring with 18 points paired with eight assists, while forward Fabian White Jr. recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
ABOUT BIG 12 CONFERENCE
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 14 institutions after welcoming BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on July 1, 2023, joining Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The league is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses eight states, three time zones and a combined population of over 79.3 million. Entering its 28th year, the Conference has produced over 800 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 20 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for 742 individual NCAA titles and 81 team national championships under the Big 12 banner.
For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference), Instagram (Instagram.com/big12conference) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
What is your favorite memory against a current Big 12 opponent? Head over to @UHCougars on Twitter or @houstoncougars on Instagram and let us know!
FOOTBALL
Houston 45, #5 Oklahoma State 35 – Sept. 12, 2009
A big test awaiting on the first road game of the 2009 season saw Houston football step into Stillwater, Okla., and upset No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State 45-35.
With the Cougars leading 24-7 at halftime, the Cowboys came back to take their first lead at 28-24 heading into the fourth quarter. Trailing 35-31, Houston drove down the field and capped off an 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal from quarterback Case Keenum to running back Bryce Beall to lead 38-35.
With under four minutes left to play, cornerback Jamal Robinson sealed the victory with a 26-yard pick six to stun Oklahoma State and put the game out of reach. Keenum led the Cougars with 366 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to cap off a hard-fought historic victory for the program.
SOFTBALL
Houston 4, #7 Oklahoma State 2 – March 13, 2021
In the last of three games in Oklahoma City, the Houston softball team handed No. 7 ranked Oklahoma State only its second loss of the season as it upset the Cowgirls.
Oklahoma State took the early lead with two runs in the first inning to lead 2-0. After a scoreless second inning, third baseman Sarah Queen changed the game with one swing as she cracked a three-run home run to give the Cougars a 3-2 lead in the top of the third. Queen returned for more as she added an insurance run with an RBI single to double the Houston lead at 4-2.
The Cowboys had their chances, having stranded three runners on base as the Cougars secured a victory over a ranked opponent for the sixth consecutive season.
VOLLEYBALL
Houston 3, #19 Texas 1– Oct. 22, 1994
The Houston volleyball team extended its winning streak to 10 games as it cruised past Texas winning three sets to one in 1994.
Texas won the first set 15-13, but the Cougars held on to its momentum and won the second set 15-8. Houston had the upper hand throughout the third and fourth sets, breezing past to win both sets 15-8 and 15-5.
Hitter Lilly Denoon-Chester recorded 18 hits and 18 digs, as her play helped the Cougars improve to 13-3 overall on the season and led the Southwestern Conference with three conference games left to play.
FOOTBALL
Houston 33, #3 Oklahoma 23 – Sept. 3, 2016
Coming off a 13-1 record, its American Athletic Conference Championship and a Peach Bowl win in 2015, the Houston football team opened the 2016 season in dominant fashion with a 33-23 upset victory over No. 3-ranked Oklahoma at NRG Stadium.
Trading scores throughout the first half, the Cougars took a 19-17 lead heading into the locker rooms after a 47-yard field goal as time expired. The third quarter produced an all-time Houston highlight as cornerback Brandon Wilson returned an Oklahoma missed field goal attempt from deep inside the Cougars' end zone 100 yards to the house to extend the lead to 26-17. Another touchdown for both teams rounded out the scoring as the Cougars opened their season with a 33-23 victory.
The victory marked back-to-back wins against top-10 ranked opponents for the first time in program history dating back to the 2015 Peach Bowl win against then No. 9-ranked Florida State.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 64, #14 Texas Tech 53 – Nov. 29, 2020
A first big test for the Cougars saw the Houston men's basketball team cruise past No. 14 ranked Texas Tech 64-53 on a neutral court at Dickies Arena.
The early going proved a test for both teams, but the Cougars managed to string together several runs and grow its lead to 37-19 at the break. The Red Raiders responded in kind with more offense in the second half, but the Cougars did not slow down, as Houston never surrendered the lead and secured the win.
The victory marked back-to-back wins against Texas Tech as Houston continued its undefeated start to the season at 3-0.
VOLLEYBALL
Houston 3, Texas Tech 0 – Feb. 25, 2021
Riding a seven-game winning streak, Houston volleyball swept Texas Tech at the Athletics/Alumni Center in straight sets to remain undefeated at home.
After both teams battled things out to start the match, the Cougars opened a five-point lead at 13-8, thanks in large part to outside hitter Abbie Jackson. Houston maintained its five-point edge until Texas Tech brought the score to within four at 16-12. The Cougars responded right away though, as another 5-0 run put Houston in front 21-12, where the Cougars never looked back in route to the 25-17 set victory.
Texas Tech opened the second set with an early 5-2 lead, but the Cougars wasted no time finding a rebuttal. Neither team was able to gain more than at two-point edge on the other until a 4-0 run from Houston put the Cougars in front 23-19. After the Red Raiders battled back with a 3-0 run of their own, Houston closed out the set scoring two of the final three points to win 25-23 and take a 2-0 match lead.
The Cougars never backed down and after trailing late in the third set, Houston rallied back to win 26-24 and win the match 3-0.
BASEBALL
Houston 3, Texas 2 – April 12, 2016
No. 25 Houston Baseball used timely hitting and a dominating pitching performance by three Cougars to earn a 3-2 win over Texas for victory No. 20 on the year at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.
Pitcher Bubba Maxwell made his first career start as a Cougar and showed well, surrendering just one run on two hits with no walks in 4.1 innings, while fanning two. He managed to retire the first 12 batters he faced. Infielder Justin Montemayor drove in the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning to break up the 2-2 tie an finished the night 1-for-3 with an RBI.
SOCCER
Houston 3, Oklahoma 1 – Aug. 19, 2021
The Houston soccer team produced a stellar performance to kick off the 2021 season with a 3-1 victory over Oklahoma. An early Cougars surge opened the way for midfielder Ava Alaniz to score the first goal of the match in the 18th minute.
Oklahoma leveled the score in the 27th minute as the halftime whistle blew to a 1-1 score line. Despite a stalemate to open the second half, the Cougars regained the 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. Three minutes later, midfielder Cordelia Cross added the insurance goal in the 67th minute to help secure the 3-1 victory and open the season in the win column.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 80, UCF 42 – Jan. 10, 2023
The University of Houston women's basketball team defeated UCF 80-42 for a final time in American Athletic Conference action, to remain undefeated in conference play at the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars were led by forward Bria Patterson's 18 points, who went an outstanding for 9 from the field. Forward Kamryn Jones collected 14 points and eight rebounds, with forward Tatyana Hill adding 13 points to the victory.
The last time the Cougars won by 35 points or more was on Feb. 10, 2021, beating Temple by 37 points. It also marks the first time Houston scored 80+ points in a conference game since Feb. 23, 2022 (80 points vs. Temple).
SOFTBALL
Houston 2, #5 Oklahoma 1 – March 6, 2004
Outfielder Lindsay Durham's sacrifice fly in the fourth inning scored the go ahead run, and pitcher Jenny Johnson slammed the door on the potent Sooner bats, as the University of Houston defeated No. 5 Oklahoma, 2-1.
The Cougars took the early in the second inning as left fielder Brooke Johnson scored on a wild pitch. Oklahoma countered in the top of third to tie the score at 1-1. In the fourth inning both shortstop Jaci Gonzalez and Johnson reached base on a walk and error, respectively, with Gonzalez reaching third on the errant throw by the Oklahoma catcher. Durham lofted a fly ball down the left field line into foul territory, but it was deep enough to score Gonzalez with the go-ahead run.
FOOTBALL
Houston 29, Texas Tech 28 – Sept. 27, 2009
Entering the ranking for the first time in 18 years after a 45-35 upset victory over then-No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State, the No. 17-ranked Houston football team overcame another fourth quarter deficit to defeat Texas Tech 29-28 at home.
The Cougars trailed 21-13 at the half and 28-23 entering the fourth quarter, looking to spark another comeback for the second week. Scoreless through most of the fourth quarter, Houston struck gold as quarterback Case Keenum found the end zone on a 4-yard rush to put the Cougars in front 29-28 with 49 seconds left to play.
Texas Tech pushed near midfield for one last chance to survive, but the Houston defense secured the win and knocked off a Big 12 opponent for the second week in a row.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Houston 72, Oklahoma State 61 – Dec. 18, 2021
An all-around stellar team performance on a neutral court saw the Houston men's basketball team defeat Oklahoma State 72-61 at Dickies Arena.
The Cougars got off to the right start and carried the lead into the locker rooms at 35-30. The Cowboys pulled a comeback bid but failed to make up lost ground as Houston remained in front throughout the second half.
Leading by as many as 12 during the second half, Houston locked up defensively and pulled out the victory to hit the 10-win mark on the year. Guard Jamal Shead led the Cougars in scoring with 18 points paired with eight assists, while forward Fabian White Jr. recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
ABOUT BIG 12 CONFERENCE
The Big 12 Conference is comprised of 14 institutions after welcoming BYU, UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on July 1, 2023, joining Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
The league is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics conference that encompasses eight states, three time zones and a combined population of over 79.3 million. Entering its 28th year, the Conference has produced over 800 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 20 of its 23 sponsored sports. Its student-athletes and teams have combined for 742 individual NCAA titles and 81 team national championships under the Big 12 banner.
For more information, visit Big12Sports.com and follow the Conference on Facebook (Facebook.com/Big12), Twitter (@Big12Conference), Instagram (Instagram.com/big12conference) and YouTube (YouTube.com/Big12Conference).
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.
Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
Players Mentioned
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/ Soccer
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/ Soccer
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Volleyball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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