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University of Houston
29-3,15-3Big 12
(8) TCU
21-12,9-9Big 12
#1 Houston Takes Down TCU, Advances to Big 12 Championship Semifinals
3/14/2024 4:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The top-ranked University of Houston Men's Basketball program turned up its suffocating defense, sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp had 14 points, senior guard Jamal Shead scored 12, and the Cougars rolled to a 60-45 victory over the Horned Frogs inside T-Mobile Arena on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Senior forward J'Wan Roberts added eight points and 10 rebounds for Houston (29-3, 15-3 Big 12), which held TCU without a point for nearly 10 minutes to start the game and was never threatened the rest of the way in winning its 10th consecutive game.
The Cougars will play No. 25 Texas Tech in the semifinal round on Friday night.
Micah Peavy had 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Horned Frogs (21-12, 9-9 Big 12). Leading scorer Emanuel Miller followed up his 26-point performance in a second-round win over Oklahoma by scoring just three points on 1-for-10 shooting.
TCU wound up going 17-of -3 from the field (23.3%) and 2-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Longtime rivals in the old Southwest Conference, the Cougars and Horned Frogs were meeting for the first time in the Big 12 Tournament - otherwise known as a neutral floor, where Houston had never lost in eight other games with TCU.
The Cougars never left a doubt that it would be nine.
Fresh off a 30-point blowout of Kansas, the regular-season Big 12 champs scored the first 16 points of the game, shutting down coach Jamie Dixon's team with the kind of in-your-shorts defense that has become the Cougars' hallmark over the years.
TCU missed its first 16 field-goal attempts and did not score until Peavy's bucket with 10:25 left in the first half.
Even when Houston went through its own offensive dry spell in the first half, it continually hounded the Horned Frogs. They were 3-for-23 with six turnovers at one point, and during one possession, they missed four consecutive shots at the rim.
TCU trailed 31-15 at halftime, missed its first eight shots of the second half and never threatened the rest of the way.
UP NEXT
• With Wednesday's win, Houston advanced to their first Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships Semifinals, where they will face #25/23 (4) Texas Tech at 6 p.m., inside T-Mobile Center.
• That game will air on ESPN or ESPN2.
• With a win against Texas Tech, Houston would advance to Saturday's Title Game.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by supporting Linking Coogs – UH's NIL collective – and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X, formerly known as Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
