MAKING HISTORY
No. 4 Houston just pulled off something not seen in 100 years
Feb 25, 2025, 8:27 am
Houston defeats Texas Tech, 69-61! Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.
Milos Uzan scored a career-high 22 points and No. 4 Houston clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with a 69-61 victory over 10th-ranked Texas Tech on Monday night.
J'Wan Roberts had 16 points and seven rebounds as the Cougars (24-4, 16-1 Big 12) avenged their only conference loss. It was 82-81 at home in overtime when the Red Raiders overcame the early ejection of leading scorer JT Toppin and coach Grant McCasland for their signature victory this season.
Toppin and Elijah Hawkins scored 14 points apiece for the short-handed Red Raiders (21-7, 12-5), who tried to feed off the energetic crowd despite playing just six players. Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes watched his alma mater from a seat next to the Texas Tech bench.
The Red Raiders were without two of their top three scorers in Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, who have lower-body injuries. McMillian was sidelined for a second consecutive game.
Emanuel Sharpe scored 10 points as the Cougars eliminated Texas Tech from the Big 12 race and left No. 22 Arizona as the only team with a chance to catch them.
Takeaways
Houston: Became the first team to win a major conference title in its first two seasons in a league since Idaho did it in 1922-23.
Texas Tech: On top of the absence of McMillian and Williams, Toppin was nursing cramps in his calf in the second half. He still managed a double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds.
Key moment
The Red Raiders were down three in the final minute when Uzan hit a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down.
Key stat
The Red Raiders shot a season-worst 30% overall and were at just 20% from 3.
Up next
Houston is home against Cincinnati on Saturday, while Texas Tech visits Kansas.
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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.