Houston defeats Arizona State
Cougars tighten grip on Big 12 with pivotal win over Arizona State
Feb 19, 2025, 7:33 am
The Coogs beat Arizona State, 80-65. Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images.
L.J. Cryer scored 18 points, Emanuel Sharp added 17 and No. 5 Houston dominated Arizona State 80-65 on Tuesday night.
The Cougars (22-4, 14-1 Big 12) moved up a spot in the latest AP Top 25 after grinding out a 62-58 win over No. 19 Arizona on Saturday.
Houston had a much easier time on the second leg of its desert trip, building a 16-point halftime lead and stretching it to 23. The Cougars have won 18 of 19 and have the nation's longest active road winning streak at 12.
The Sun Devils (12-14, 3-12) had no answers for Houston at either end, even with Jayden Quaintance back after missing two games with a sprained ankle.
Alston Mason had 26 points and B.J. Freeman added 17 to lead the Sun Devils, who have lost six straight.
Houston jumped on Arizona State from the start, hitting 15 of 28 shots to lead 47-31 at halftime. Houston also held the Sun Devils to 3-for-12 shooting on 3-pointers and converted seven turnovers into 15 points.
The Cougars went on an early 7-0 run in the second half to go up 23 and still led by 12 after Arizona State went on a late 11-0 run.
Takeaways
Houston: The Cougars picked up a huge win in the Big 12 race against Arizona and remain two games up after the desert sweep.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils are searching for answers following their seventh straight home loss.
Key moment
Houston gradually built the lead in the first half before hitting 7 of 9 shots to stretch it to 34-22.
Key stat
Sharp shot 4 of 7 on 3s after going scoreless against Arizona.
Up next
Houston hosts No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday, while Arizona State is at Kansas State on Sunday.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.