The fifth-ranked Houston Cougars passed their latest test en route to a second consecutive Big 12 regular-season title by fending off No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
The Cougars (23-4, 15-1 Big 12) hold a three-game lead in the conference standings with four games remaining in the regular season. Houston can take a significant step toward securing the top seed for the conference tournament by defeating ninth-ranked Texas Tech (21-6, 12-4) — the lone team to beat the Cougars in Big 12 play this season — on the road on Monday.
Houston led by 16 points over Iowa State midway through the second half before grinding out a 68-59 win. The Cyclones were missing their top two scorers, Keshon Gilbert (muscle strain) and Curtis Jones (illness), yet rallied to within one point with eight minutes left, before the Cougars rode a 28-point effort from L.J. Cryer to victory.
“Let’s not sit here and slice and dice being 15-1,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “When we lost to Auburn, they had the airplane drama. That really bonded them together. I thought that really elevated them. Texas Tech came in here and lost arguably their best player (JT Toppin). I don’t know whether he is or not, but he is a great player.
“So (Saturday) it was similar, and we have won a lot of games without or best this or best that because you have such a great program. Texas Tech has a great program, Iowa State has a great program and so does Houston, so when you are missing players, they just find a way to compete.”
A win over the Red Raiders would mark the fourth for Houston against a ranked conference foe this season. That gauntlet has proven especially challenging, but one the Cougars anticipated.
“Houston, Arizona, Texas Tech, Iowa State, and Kansas are all ranked,” Sampson said. “They’ve always done what needs to be done. This is my 14th year coaching in the Big 12. I don’t see it any different than it always has been. It’s always good, it always has outstanding coaches, great fanbases, and great tradition-rich programs.”
The Red Raiders kept pace with Houston by throttling West Virginia 73-51 at home on Saturday. Toppin paced Texas Tech with 22 points while Christian Anderson added a career-high 21 points in the victory, one that included the Red Raiders producing a plus-19 scoring margin following the intermission.
Texas Tech showcased similar late-game toughness while defeating the Cougars 82-81 in overtime on Feb. 1. That win snapped several streaks for the Cougars, including a 33-game homecourt winning streak that was the longest in the nation. The Red Raiders have already proven their mettle against Houston. Doing so again would confirm their status as contenders.
“This game is about an approach, mentality and willingness to stay in the middle of it,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “You can’t ever get on the outside of these games. You have to be willing to put your nose right in the middle. Nobody does that better than Houston. If we want to be the program that everyone loves, then this game on Monday will be a great barometer for what our grit level is.”
–Field Level Media
