NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, Conference Champion: No. 2 Houston Beats Arizona 72-64 for the Phillips 66 Big 12 MBB Championship Title

By Jeysla Gonzalez

 

 

3 15 2025

 

Cougars capture regular season and tournament title

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Junior guard Milos Uzan poured in 25 points, Emanuel Sharp added 17 and the #2/2 University of Houston Men’s Basketball program turned up its trademark defense in the final minute to hold on for a 72-64 victory over Arizona in the Big 12 Tournament championship game Saturday night inside T-Mobile Center.

Playing without graduate forward J’Wan Roberts, the Cougars (30-4) took a 64-62 lead on Uzan’s 3-pointer with 5 minutes to go, then suffocated the Wildcats (22-12) down the stretch to avenge a loss to Iowa State in last year’s title game.

Houston also took the regular-season Big 12 title, winning 19 of 20 league games.

“We never panic,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I notice a lot of people around us do, but thank God they’re not coaches and players. We’ve been in these bunkers. We’ve been there when it’s tough. We’ve learned to internalize and almost get independent of everything around us. We get in a bunker and believe in each other and get to work.”

Caleb Love scored 19 points for the Wildcats. Jaden Bradley had 14 points and KJ Lewis finished with 11.

The result was its third conference tourney title in five years.

2025 All-Tournament Team
Caleb Love, Arizona
L.J. Cryer, Houston
Emanuel Sharp, Houston (MOP)
Milos Uzan, Houston
JT Toppin, Texas Tech

 

 

COURTESY HOUSTON ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

 

 

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