KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Arizona held a halftime lead but was unable to hold off top-seeded Houston’s second-half surge, falling 72-64 in the Big 12 Championship game Saturday at T-Mobile Center.
The Wildcats (22-12) controlled much of the first half, leading by as many as five points and heading into the break with a 33-28 advantage. Caleb Love led Arizona with 19 points, while Jaden Bradley added 14 points and four assists. KJ Lewis contributed 11 points off the bench.
However, Houston (30-4) flipped the script in the second half, outscoring Arizona 44-31. Milos Uzan sparked the Cougars’ rally with 25 points, including three three-pointers. Emanuel Sharp, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, added 17 points. Houston’s defense tightened after halftime, holding Arizona to just 44.4% shooting from the field and 22.2% from three-point range.
The game saw six lead changes and five ties, but Arizona struggled with Houston’s defensive pressure, committing 12 turnovers that led to 15 Cougar points. Houston also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 10-of-10 attempts in the second half.
Arizona’s offensive struggles became more apparent in the final minutes. After Bradley’s layup cut Houston’s lead to 66-64 with 1:37 left, the Wildcats failed to score again. Houston closed the game on a 6-0 run, including two free throws from Sharp and a transition dunk from Ja’Vier Francis that sealed the win.
Despite the loss, Arizona’s tournament performance earned them recognition, with Love named to the All-Tournament Team alongside Houston’s Uzan and LJ Cryer, as well as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin.
Up next for Arizona is Selection Sunday, where they will wait to see where they are sent for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament next week.
2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball All-Tournament Team
Emanuel Sharp, Houston (Most Outstanding Player)
Caleb Love, Arizona
Milos Uzan, Houston
LJ Cryer, Houston
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
#BearDown
