Arizona’s Brayden Burries reacts after making a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Houston in the championship of the Big 12 Conference tournament Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
With just days left until Selection Sunday and March Madness, it’s crunch time in conference tournaments around the country.
Arizona solidified its status as one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament with a 79-74 win over Houston in the Big 12 championship game.
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The Wildcats built a 15-point lead with 14:04 to go in the second half before Houston made the game very interesting. If only for a moment. The Cougars went on a 14-0 run over the next seven minutes before Brayden Burries’ second chance basket with 6:40 to go put Arizona back up three.
Houston never got within two after that, and Arizona started banking in shots. When Ivan Kharchenkov’s 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring went in off the backboard, it was hard to see how Houston was going to win.
Read more on the Big 12 title game from Nick Bromberg.
Big 12 men’s basketball tournament
When: March 10-14
Where: T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Missouri
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+
Big 12 tournament bracket, scores
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Big 12 schedule, results (all times ET)
Friday, March 13 — Semifinals
Game 13 | No. 1 Arizona 82, No. 5 Iowa State 80
Game 14 | No. 2 Houston 69, No. 3 Kansas 47
Saturday, March 14 — Championship
Game 15 | No. 1 Arizona 79, No. 2 Houston 74
Live coverage is over136 updatesSat, March 14, 2026 at 5:33 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Wildcats survive! Houston made a valiant effort with its second-half comeback, but ultimately came up just short.
Koa Peat and Brayden Burries led the way for Arizona with 21 each. Joseph Tugler had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Houston.
Arizona pulls off the double, winning the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 5:25 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Arizona’s Jaden Bradley had a breakaway and missed a layup instead of holding the ball. Houston made him pay with a 3-ball by Milos Uzan at the other end to cut it to 75-72.
There’s only 50 seconds left and the Cougars have made it a one-possession game.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 5:20 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Emanuel Sharp is out of the game after committing his fifth foul to send Arizona’s Koa Peat to the line.
Houston’s Joseph Tugler is trying to keep his team in this with his 20 points, but the Cougars are running out of time.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 5:12 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Houston’s Chris Cenac is heading to the bench alongside Emanuel Sharp after picking up his fourth foul. Arizona’s Koa Peat and Tobe Awaka also have four each now.
It’s back to a 7-point lead for Arizona with just under 4 minutes left in the game.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 5:06 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
There’s still 6:40 left in the game and Emanuel Sharp just picked up his fourth foul on a driving layup by Arizona’s Brayden Burries.
Sharp is Houston’s second-leading scorer on the year behind Kingston Flemings and has eight points so far in this one.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 5:01 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
With just under 10 minutes left in the game, Houston has started to rally.
The Cougars are on a 10-0 run and it’s a five-point game. Chase McCarty has come alive here in the second half.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 4:46 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Arizona fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Jaden Bradley returned to the bench with his left wrist taped up and the X-ray was negative, a team spokesperson told ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden.
A few moments later, he was back on the court.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 4:40 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Arizona star looked like he was in a bit of pain and left the game with a left wrist injury just moments ago.
He’s been huge for the Wildcats so far in this one with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting. It would be a significant loss depending on the severity of the injury.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 4:28 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
We are back for the second half in Kansas City and the Wildcats have their first double-digit lead of the game.
Arizona is a blistering 50% from the field (17 for 34) against the No. 2 defense in the country.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 4:09 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Wildcats were able to get some separation with a 11-3 run just before the end of the half and will head into the break with an eight-point lead.
Arizona has one of the highest-scoring offenses in the country (86.4) and Houston has one of the most efficient defenses (62.4 ppg allowed).
The Wildcats have had the edge so far thanks to the aggressive play of Jaden Bradley, Koa Peat and Brayden Burries, who have combined for 36 of Arizona’s 44 points.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 4:01 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Despite Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat going off early, the Cougars are matching them and just tied things up at 33 with just under 4 minutes left in the half.
Joseph Tugler has 10 for Houston, but they’re getting help from all over.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:54 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Jaden Bradley is being really aggressive on the offensive end for Arizona so far. The senior guard averages 13 points per game and he has that already in this one.
Koa Peat is doing his part as well with 10 points, including this dunk on an alley-oop from Bradley:
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:43 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Now Tobe Awaka and Motiejus Krivas each have two fouls for Arizona just a few moments later. It’s been a tense, foul-heavy first few minutes. Both teams play high-pressure defense and the refs are calling a lot early.
In the meantime, the Cougars have cut it back to a one-possession game at 22-20.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:37 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Chris Cenac and Emanuel Sharp each have two fouls in the first 10 minutes and they’re both headed to the bench early.
The Wildcats have extended their lead to 22-14 after a 6-0 run.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:30 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Jaden Bradley is off to a hot start for the Wildcats. He has a pair of 3-pointers and 8 points in the early going as Arizona takes a two-possession lead at the 12-minute mark.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:20 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Arizona scored the first five points of the game, but it’s been all Houston since then in the opening minutes. Chris Cenac just buried a 3 to give the Cougars a 7-5 lead at the first media timeout.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 3:13 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
We are underway in Kansas City and Arizona is on the board first on a tip-in by Koa Peat.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 2:45 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Good afternoon folks and welcome back to our Big 12 live tracker!
We still have about 15 minutes before tip-off in Kansas City. If the first meeting between these teams during the regular season is any indication, we’re in for a fun night. Arizona won that matchup as Anthony Dell’Orso went off for 22 in a close road win at Houston. The Wildcats didn’t have star guard Koa Peat for that one either.
Sat, March 14, 2026 at 2:42 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Fri, March 13, 2026 at 8:43 PM PDT
Nick Bromberg
It’s a formality at this point. The Cougars will play Arizona for the Big 12 title on Saturday night. Kansas, meanwhile, is headed for either a No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.