Here is a quick update on local men’s basketball teams.
No.2 Houston Cougars (24-2, 12-1, first in American Athletic Conference)
Last game: No.2 Houston 80, SMU 65
After trailing 4-0, Houston recovered quickly as Marcus Sasser and Jarace Walker led the Cougars to another win. The Cougars used multiple 12-0 scoring runs to take a commanding double-digit lead, which they never surrendered. Sasser led Houston with 20 points, while SMU’s Zhuric Phelps scored 22 for SMU.
Noteworthy: Houston’s win means it could be the No.1-ranked team in next week’s top 25 poll if it beats Memphis on Saturday. Current No.1 Alabama lost to No.10 Tennessee on Wednesday.
Next up: Memphis at No.2 Houston, 2 p.m. CT Saturday.
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No.6 Texas Longhorns (20-6, 9-4, tied for first in Big 12)
Last game: Texas Tech 74, No.6 Texas 67
Texas Tech came out fighting and led the Longhorns by nine at the half. Texas trailed by as many as 13 in the second half but managed to tie the game with 4:17 remaining. Texas would not score again for about another three minutes, which allowed Texas Tech to rebuild a multi-possession lead.
Noteworthy: Texas is now 13-5 under interim head coach Rodney Terry and tied for first place in the Big 12 with Kansas and Baylor.
Next up: Oklahoma at No.6 Texas, 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
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No.9 Baylor Bears (20-6, 9-4, tied for first in Big 12)
Last game: No.9 Baylor 79, West Virginia 67
Baylor continues a late-season surge. The Bears have won 10 of their last 11 games and are now tied for first place in the Big 12. L.J. Cryer poured in 26 points as Baylor controlled the game from the six-minute mark in the first half and led by as many as 19.
Noteworthy: Baylor is tied for first place in the Big 12 with Texas and Kansas and has won at least 20 games in 14 of the last 16 seasons.
Next up: No.9 Baylor at No.5 Kansas, 3 p.m. CT Saturday.
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No.22 TCU Horned Frogs (17-9, 6-7, seventh in Big 12)
Last game: No.19 Iowa State 70, No.22 TCU 59
The Horned Frogs have been on a cold streak since star guard Mike Miles Jr. went down with an injury. On Wednesday against Iowa State, the Horned Frogs fell behind early and never recovered. Iowa State led by double digits for most of the game and made the most of its opportunities.
Noteworthy: TCU has now used 14 different starting lineups this season, the most of any Power Conference team.
Next up: Oklahoma State at No.22 TCU, 1 p.m. CT Saturday.
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North Texas Mean Green (22-5, 13-3, second in Conference USA)
Last game: UNT 72, Louisiana Tech 62
North Texas trailed briefly by a point in the first half but never gave the lead back. The Mean Green shot 61% from the field and earned their 22nd win of the year. Abou Ousmane led the way with 20 points on eight of 14 shooting.
Noteworthy: UNT has now won seven straight games and is in second place in Conference USA, one game behind No.24 Florida Atlantic.
Next up: UNT at UTEP, 8 p.m. CT Saturday.
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SMU Mustangs (9-18, 4-10, 10th in American Athletic Conference)
Last game: No.2 Houston 80, SMU 65
Houston was just too much for SMU to handle. The Mustangs kept things close for most of the first half but ultimately fell too far behind. SMU tried to get back in the game by fouling in the final minutes, but Houston was able to knock down its free throws and seal the game.
Noteworthy: SMU’s Zach Nutall crossed the 1,800 career points mark, and Efe Odigie reached 1,200 career points. SMU had four players score in double digits for the 10th time this season.
Next up: East Carolina at SMU, 2 p.m. CT Sunday.
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Texas A&M Aggies (19-7, 11-2, second in SEC)
Last game: A&M 62, Arkansas 56
Texas A&M got double-digit scoring efforts from three players as it continued its hot streak in SEC play. The Aggies fell behind 11-4 early and trailed by nine at halftime. A 9-2 run to start the second half sparked the comeback as the teams went back and forth for the rest of the game, and A&M pulled away in the final two minutes.
Noteworthy: A&M is now in second place in the SEC behind No.1 Alabama by one game. The Aggies are 11-2 in the conference after starting the season 8-5.
Next up: Texas A&M at Missouri, 5 p.m. CT Saturday.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-12, 3-10, tied for last in the Big 12)
Last game: Texas Tech 74, No.6 Texas 67
Texas Tech came up with a big win against the Longhorns. The Red Raiders led most of the game and pushed right back after Texas tied the game with just over four minutes remaining as the team overcame a 23-point performance from Texas’ Marcus Carr.
Noteworthy: The win was Texas Tech’s second-ranked win in a row after defeating No.12 Kansas State on Saturday. It is also the first time the Red Raiders have won back-to-back Big 12 games this season.
Next up: Texas Tech at West Virginia, 11 am CT Saturday.
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AWARD SEASON
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its finalists for this year’s college basketball awards.
Texas Tech’s Kevin Obanor is a finalist for the Julius Erving Award, which commemorates the nation’s best small forward, Baylor’s Adam Flagler and Keyonte George are finalists for the Jerry West Award, which commemorates the best shooting guard, and TCU’s Mike Miles is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which commemorates the best point guard.
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SPRING GAMES
Spring football is right around the corner. Here are the known dates for local spring games.
TCU — April 14
Texas — April 15
Texas A&M — April 15
Baylor — April 22
Oklahoma — April 22
Oklahoma State — April 22
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EXTENSIONS
Texas Tech has signed 12 football staff members to contact extensions and new contracts, including all 10 assistant coaches. The staff members getting new agreements will have two-year deals, while the extensions will be for one year.