HOUSTON – L.J. Cryer scored 20 points and No. 4 Houston clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title for a second straight season with a 73-64 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Terrance Arceneaux added 10 points for Houston (25-4, 17-1 Big 12), which has won eight straight. The Cougars became the first team to win the regular-season championship in its first two years in a major conference since Idaho, which won the PCC in the 1921-22 and 1922-23 seasons. Houston joined the Big 12 in 2023.
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The Cougars, who have won 12 straight over Cincinnati, shot 54% and owned a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Day Day Thomas scored 19 points and Jizzle James added 18 for Cincinnati (17-12, 7-11). The Bearcats shot 44% and were 6 of 20 on 3-pointers.
Takeaways
Cincinnati: The Bearcats missed a chance to improve their resume for a possible NCAA Tournament berth. Cincinnati fell to 1-10 in Quad 1 games this season.
Houston: The Cougars continue to help their cause for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with their 21st win in 22 games. Houston improved to 15-4 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season, with all of its losses coming in Quad 1 games.
Key moment
Trailing 10-2 with 13½ minutes left in the first half, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called timeout, and Cryer hit a jumper out of it to start a 18-2 run. Houston led 37-25 at the half.
Key stat
Houston dominated the paint with a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Up next
Houston hosts Kansas on Monday, and Cincinnati hosts Kansas State on Wednesday.
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