Arizona avenges 2025 loss with Big 12 final win over Houston

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brayden Burries scored 21 points, including a pair of free throws with 8.3 seconds left, and second-ranked Arizona held off No. 5 Houston 79-74 on Saturday night in a rematch of last year's Big 12 Tournament title game won by the Cougars.

Koa Peat also had 21 points and Jaden Bradley followed his semifinal game-winner against Iowa State with 13 for the No. 1 seed Wildcats (32-2), who head into the NCAA Tournament having won nine straight games — six against ranked opponents.

Joseph Tugler had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Cougars (28-6). Mercy Miller added 13 points.

Houston, which beat the Wildcats 72-64 in its title game debut a year ago, trailed 75-66 with just over a minute to go before Miller and Milos Uzan hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.

But when Peat missed a jumper with 22 seconds to go, Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas gathered the rebound and was fouled under the bucket. The 7-foot-2 junior from Lithuania calmly made both free throws to extend the Wildcats' lead.

Kingston Flemings and Miller missed layups at the other end for Houston, and by the time Miller was fouled and made two free throws, there was just 13.2 seconds to go. Burries was fouled on the inbound pass and put away the game.

The championship matchup — one befitting of a Final Four — was close throughout the first half until Burries, who'd missed 11 straight shots going back to a quarterfinal win over UCF, finally got hot for Arizona. The All-Big 12 guard hit four in a row late in the first half, scoring the Wildcats' last 10 points and giving them a 44-36 advantage at the break.

They stretched the advantage to 15 points in the second half as the game became more physical.

In a span of a few minutes, Bradley hurt his wrist in a collision and briefly went to the locker room. Peat was slow getting up after he was hammered on a shot. And during a scrap for a loose ball, five bodies hit the floor, and when a jump ball was finally called, Burries and Houston forward Kalifa Sakho laid on the court unwilling to let go.

Houston was still trailing 59-44 when it finally went on a run, scoring 14 straight points to nearly draw even.

But the unflappable Burries answered with a three-point play, Ivan Kharchenko scored on three straight trips down floor for the Wildcats, and they managed to regain just enough breathing room to survive all the way to the finish.

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Houston will likely be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and play first- and second-round games in Oklahoma City. Perhaps more importantly, the Cougars would play their regional semifinal in Houston should they advance.

Arizona should have a short trip to San Diego to play its opening weekend games in the NCAA Tournament. If the Wildcats advance, the projected No. 1 seed would head up the coast to San Jose, California for the second weekend.