Inside the visitor’s locker room at United Supermarkets Arena, University of Houston players sprayed water in the air, waved towels and began an impromptu dance celebration.
Then came the chant that has become a familiar sing-along the past two seasons.
“Big 12 champs.”
“Big 12 champs.”
“Big 12 champs.”
Milos Uzan scored a career-high 22 points as the fourth-ranked Cougars clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with a 69-61 victory over No. 10 Texas Tech on Monday night.
Two seasons in the Big 12.
Two titles.
Pure domination.
Goodnight Cougar Nation 🥱🏆#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/Qu0lUUrpk9
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 25, 2025
UH has gone 31-4 during the regular season, tied with Kansas (2015-17 and 2018-20) for the most conference wins over a two-year span in Big 12 history.
“It was for sure something to celebrate,” guard Emanuel Sharp said of the postgame locker room scene. “We’re not going to take this for granted. Not a lot of teams can be in this position like we are. We appreciate it.”
At 16-1 in Big 12 play, UH holds a 3½-game lead over Arizona with three games left in the regular season. The Cougars can clinch the title outright with an Arizona loss to Utah on Wednesday or with a win against Cincinnati on Saturday at Fertitta Center.
UH became the first team to win a major conference title in its first two seasons in a league since Idaho won the Pacific Coast Conference in 1922-23.
As he walked through a corridor after the Cougars’ 20th win in the last 21 games, coach Kelvin Sampson’s polo shirt was damp from the postgame celebration.
“As far as celebrating, nah,” Sampson said when asked about the mood in the locker room. “We’ve won a few conference championships. We’ll celebrate when the time comes. But right now, it’s more about rest and get ready for Saturday.”
Added assistant coach Kellen Sampson: “A little bit more controlled. There’s still a little food on the plate. When you’re on a team that’s good, you earn the right to dream. This was a checkpoint. We’re excited to get to this checkpoint, and now we are all ready for what’s next.”
UH clinched the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 tournament, which begins March 11 in Kansas City, Mo. And with less than three weeks until Selection Sunday, UH (24-4 overall) is among the short list of schools under consideration for a No. 1 regional seed in the NCAA Tournament.
In front of a rowdy and hostile crowd at United Supermarkets Arena — which included Tech alum and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — the Cougars extended their record with a 13th consecutive Big 12 road win. The Red Raiders played just six players as two of their top scorers, Chance McMillian and Darrion Williams, missed the game with lower-body injuries.
Traveling well
The longest conference road winning streaks in Big 12 history.
| Houston | 13 | Feb. 10, 2024 to present |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 11 | Jan. 8, 2020 to Jan. 5, 2021 |
| Kansas | 11 | Feb. 25, 2001 to Jan. 6, 2003 |
Ahead 62-59, Uzan, a transfer from Oklahoma who signed in the offseason as the replacement for All-American point guard Jamal Shead, buried a 3-pointer for a 65-59 lead with 45 seconds left.
“This team has so much belief in me,” Uzan said. “When my shots are there, they want me to shoot it. I feel like I can knock down any shot at any time during the game. For me, it’s all about continuing to be aggressive.”
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