Uzan scores 25 points, No. 2 Houston ramps up 'D' to beat Arizona 72-64 for the Big 12 tourney title

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Uzan scores 25 points, No. 2 Houston ramps up 'D' to beat Arizona 72-64 for the Big 12 tourney title

2025-03-16 10:02 Last Updated At：10:11

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Houston had crowded onto the podium inside T-Mobile Center on Saturday night, and the second-ranked Cougars were beginning to celebrate their Big 12 Tournament title, when Emanuel Sharp was handed a championship belt as the tourney MVP.

He raised it high above his head — upside down.

It was just about the only obvious misstep that anyone from Houston made all week.

Milos Uzan poured in 25 points against Arizona in the finale, Sharp added 17 in another brilliant effort, and the Cougars turned up their trademark defense in the final minute to hold on for a 72-64 victory over the Big 12 newcomer.

Playing without injured big man J'Wan Roberts, the Cougars (30-4) took a 64-62 lead on Uzan's 3-pointer with 5 minutes to go, then suffocated the Wildcats (22-12) down the stretch to avenge a loss to Iowa State in last year's title game.

“We did a great job of staying together,” said Sharp, who was joined by Uzan and Big 12 player of the year LJ Cryer on the All-Tournament team. “That's what coach has been preaching. And that's why I love this team.”

Houston romped to the regular-season Big 12 title, winning 19 of 20 games in the expanded league. And it was just as dominant in three games in Kansas City, easily beating Colorado and No. 17 BYU before turning back red-hot Arizona for the trophy.

“We never panic,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “A lot of people around us do, but thank God they're not coaches and players. We've been in these bunkers. We've been there when it's tough. We've learned to internalize and almost get independent of everything around us. We get in a bunker and believe in each other and get to work.”

Caleb Love scored 19 points, Jaden Bradley added 14 and KJ Lewis finished with 11 for the Wildcats, who were trying to replicate what Arizona State did in football this past season: win a Big 12 title in its first year in its new league.

“It was a tough year. A tough conference. And for us to compete with the best of the best, you know, as far as conferences, I'm proud of my guys,” Love said. “I'm just proud we made it this far, and we'll be ready for March Madness.”

Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd had bristled after their quarterfinal win over No. 9 Texas Tech when it was suggested that the title tilt amounted to a showdown of styles: Arizona's high-scoring offense against Houston's dominant defense.

“We’re not that bad on defense,” Lloyd countered succinctly.

Turns out the Wildcats are quite good.

They harried and harrassed Houston's guards wherever they went on the floor, twice holding the Cougars without a point for 5-minute stretches in the first half. The result was a 33-28 lead in the locker room that felt just a little bit bigger.

Yet there is a reason that Houston is No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency.

The Cougars were still trailing 40-37 when they clamped down on the Wildcats, turning defense into offense and outscoring them 19-6 over the next five minutes. By the time Uzan curled in a bucket with 11:40 to go, Houston had taken a 56-46 lead — the largest of the entire game for either team.

Arizona gamely fought back to take a 62-61 lead, only for the relentless Cougars to regain the lead seconds later, when Uzan dropped his 3-pointer. He scored again on their ensuing possession, and Houston maintained its lead from there.

The result was its third conference tourney title in five years after the pair it won in the American Athletic Conference.

“Obviously they've had a great season, and a great couple of seasons, and Coach Sampson deserves a ton of credit. They got us twice this year," Lloyd said. “They won the conference by four or five. They won the conference tournament. At this moment they are the kings of the Big 12. I have nothing but respect for them.”

Roberts, who sprained his right ankle in the quarterfinals, went through pregame warmups without the walking boot he wore a day earlier. But he had the boot back on as he watched from the bench in the hopes of playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Houston almost certainly locked up a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday and will probably begin its NCAA Tournament in Wichita, Kansas. Most expect the Wildcats to land a No. 4 seed after their run to the conference championship game.

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Two late goals as Barcelona rallies to beat Atletico Madrid 4-2

2025-03-17 07:29 Last Updated At：07:30

MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid relinquished a two-goal lead in its 4-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish league on Sunday in another setback for the club after it was eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Playing at the Metropolitano stadium four days after it lost to Madrid in a penalty shootout, Atletico led Barcelona 2-0 at halftime but conceded a pair of stoppage-time goals to waste a chance to overtake the Catalan club for second place and move within a point of league leader Madrid.

“It was a weird game, we did well in the first half and had the game under control after scoring twice,” Atletico player Marcos Llorente said. “I do think that the 120 minutes that we had to play in the Champions League made a difference, there was a letdown in the end.”

The defeat left Atletico four points behind its two rivals in the league, with Barcelona having a game in hand. Madrid won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday.

Lamine Yamal scored two minutes into stoppage time and Ferran Torres six minutes later to give Barcelona the gritty come-from-behind victory.

“It’s a statement win for us, allowing us to regain the lead with a game in hand,” Yamal said.

Julián Álvarez had put Atletico ahead after a breakaway just before halftime. It had been an unusual double touch by Álvarez in the penalty shootout against Madrid that led to Atletico's elimination from the Champions League on Wednesday.

Atletico added to the lead with a goal by substitute Alexander Sorloth from inside the area in the 70th. Robert Lewandowski, the league's leading scorer, gave Barcelona hope by finding the net in the 72nd, and Torres equalized with a header after a cross by Raphinha in the 78th.

“We have to congratulate them,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “There was a bit of luck, which you must have sometimes. We had a few chances in counterattacks but didn’t take advantage of them. Barcelona is a great team."

Atletico beat Barcelona 2-1 when the teams met in Barcelona in their first Spanish league match of the season in December. They drew 4-4 in a first-leg match in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey last month. The second leg is in April.

Athletic Bilbao solidified its fourth place with a 1-0 win at Sevilla.

Yeray Álvarez scored with a header in the 84th to give Athletic the away victory and an eight-point gap to fifth-placed Villarreal, which has a game in hand.

It was Athletic's second win in a row after three straight matches without a victory across all tournaments. It came off a 3-1 win over Roma to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League.

Sixth-placed Real Betis rallied from two goals down at halftime to win 3-2 at relegation-threatened Leganes, with Cucho Hernández scoring the winner in the 82nd.

The hosts had taken the lead with Dani Raba scoring in the 29th and 44th before Betis equalized through Isco in the 64th and Cédric Bakambu in the 78th.

It was the third straight victory for Betis in all competitions, and the second loss in a row for 18th-placed Leganes.

Also Sunday, ninth-placed Rayo Vallecano drew 2-2 at home with 12th-placed Real Sociedad, which is winless in six consecutive games in all competitions. Rayo is winless in five straight league matches.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer