No. 1 Houston earns share of Big 12 regular season title with win vs. UCF, sets up Kansas finale

ORLANDO, Florida (KTRK) -- The University of Houston Cougars men's basketball program can add the first of potentially multiple trophies from its historic Big 12 debut season.

On Wednesday evening, the No. 1 Coogs took down the University of Central Florida Golden Knights, 67-59, to earn a share of the Big 12 regular season championship.

Houston (27-3) can clinch the title outright with a win on Saturday against No. 14 Kansas in the Coogs' season finale or No. 6 Iowa State's loss in its next game against Kansas State.

The victory was not a beautiful one. Houston didn't hold a lead for the first 28 minutes of the game, trailing by as much as seven points to UCF, who fall to 12th in a 14-team conference.

Houston captured the lead with 12 minutes left from a Jamal Shead three-point shot as part of a 7-0 run.

L.J. Cryer, a senior transfer who won the 2021 National Championship with Baylor, led all scoring with 25 points, including five three-pointers.

Shead added 16 points and eight assists. J'Wan Roberts scored 12 points.

Ja'vier Francis, who scored 10 points, had an injury scare early in the second half when he rolled his ankle. He left the court briefly before returning and finishing with eight rebounds.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson's team was dealt its latest injury earlier this week when Jojo Tugler was confirmed lost for the season.

Houston returns home to conclude its wildly successful Big 12 debut season in a highly-anticipated clash with the Jayhawks, which airs on ABC13's sister network, ESPN, on Saturday at 3 p.m.

The Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship begins on March 12, but UH, the presumptive No. 1 seed, would likely start tournament play on March 14. All games of the tourney will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, or ESPNU.

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