TEMPE, Ariz. — Houston’s L.J. Cryer led the team with 18 points, while Emanuel Sharp contributed 17, as the No. 5 Cougars overpowered Arizona State with an 80-65 victory on Tuesday evening.
With this win, Houston improved to a record of 22-4 and 14-1 in the Big 12, climbing up one position in the latest AP Top 25 rankings. Over the weekend, they narrowly defeated No. 19 Arizona 62-58, highlighting their competitive edge.
In their second encounter in the desert, the Cougars displayed a dominant performance, establishing a 16-point lead at halftime and extending it to as much as 23 points during the game. With this latest win, Houston has triumphed in 18 of their last 19 matches and is currently riding a 12-game winning streak on the road, the longest in the nation.
Arizona State struggled to find solutions against the Cougars, despite Jayden Quaintance’s return from a sprained ankle that had sidelined him for two games. The Sun Devils are now on a six-game losing streak, with Alston Mason scoring a game-high 26 points and B.J. Freeman adding 17.
Houston began strong, making 15 of their first 28 shots to lead 47-31 by halftime. They managed to limit Arizona State’s long-range shooting, holding them to just 3-for-12 from beyond the arc, and capitalized on the Sun Devils’ seven turnovers, turning those into 15 points.
A quick 7-0 run at the start of the second half by the Cougars further widened the gap to 23 points. Even after an 11-0 run by the Sun Devils late in the game, Houston maintained a comfortable 12-point advantage.
Takeaways from the match include Houston’s solid performance in the Big 12 standings after their victories against Arizona and Arizona State, keeping them a two-game lead ahead. Meanwhile, Arizona State is in dire need of resolution after their seventh consecutive loss at home.
A critical moment of the match was when Houston gradually increased their lead in the first half, hitting 7 of their last 9 attempts to stretch the score to 34-22.
In terms of statistics, Sharp turned in a better performance this game, successfully making 4 of his 7 attempts from three-point range after having no points in the preceding matchup against Arizona.
Looking ahead, Houston will next host No. 8 Iowa State on Saturday, while Arizona State is scheduled to play against Kansas State this Sunday.
