The anticipation for March Madness is rising by the day, and you can feel it all over the city. Especially in the Fertita Center Wednesday night.
It seems like every game has had some newsworthy or historical headline intertwined with it, and tonight was no different. The last home game means one thing: Senior night in Houston.
Before the game tipped off, the arena was already rocking, and the crowd made sure to extend their love to all four Cougar seniors. Kalifa Sako, Ramon Walker Jr, Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp brought the fans to their feet in their pre-game recognition.
They all started the game, as well as freshman Kingston Flemings, who joined them at the point guard position. This lineup hadn’t began any previous game and it showed early. Slow defensive rotations allowed Baylor to score beyond the arc and get in the paint easily.
The Bears opened on a 12-5 run in the first five minutes, and continued to score with ease. Approaching the ten minute mark, the Bears hit each of their threes, getting deeper and deeper with every shot.
Houston was able to get decent looks but the shots just weren’t falling early. Close range, contested or open, it didn’t matter. They did force five early turnovers, but failed to capitalize, hitting one of four threes, and shooting 30 percent from the field.
Fertita Center woke up again after the Cougars forced a shot clock violation halfway through the first, then Sharp knocked down a much needed three. Baylor quickly shut the noise down when guard Obi Agbim responded with his second three.
A similar sequence followed, with the Cougars forcing a contested shot and getting the rebound. Flemings pushed it up the floor to find Chase Mccarty for a corner three. Baylor responded quickly, as Cameron Carr found the bottom of the net for his third straight three.
As the five minute mark approached, the switch began to flip as if the Cougars had enough. With a pair of poster dunks from Joseph Tugler and Kingston Flemings, along with an Uzan three, Houston put together a 14-to-6 run to tie the score at 35 going into the half.
Flemings had eight points in that run, leading the team with 12 points, and Sharp right behind with nine of his own.
Out the gate, the Bears came running while the Cougars came out flat — an ugly combination for the home team. Baylor had Houston on their heels. Three straight possessions in transition, drawing a shooting foul each time, and making all six free throws.
Keeping Houston afloat was Tugler’s all around play, which saw him string together two hook shots, and a diving steal that lead to Emanuel Sharp’s four point play, bringing them back within one.
Each attempt the Cougars made to break through the seal was thwarted. Stretches of fouls and violations, broken plays, and defensive lapses prevented any real control midway through the second half.
Milos and Kingston broke a three minute scoring drought, but yet again, Baylor’s offense resulted in a post mismatch for Caden Powell and Tounde Yessoufou to score right back.
Coach Sampson knew his team needed every edge possible at this point of the game, and began pointing at multiple sections in the crowd waving at them to get loud and on their feet.
“You’re either a spectator or participator, there’s a reason why the Fertita Center is a tough place to play,” coach Sampson explained. “We have some of the greatest home court advantages. Last nine years we won more games than anyone in the country and that coincides with sellouts and they make a difference.”
This proved to have an immediate impact for the Cougars. Coming out of a timeout, Houston went on a rapid 10-0, forcing a Baylor timeout.
Fertitta Center hadn’t been that loud all season, and once the seal was broken, it was barbecue chicken from there.
“When you’re on the road and you get the crowd going and the team gets going and the fact that they scored so quickly…when you get a team like Houston you can’t let them get away from you,” Baylor head coach Scott Drew said.
Converting 18 turnovers to 28 points, the largest lead now expanded to 15. Baylor seemed to run out of gas, and were in too deep to stop Houston’s offensive onslaught as they came out with a 77-64 win.
Despite not opening today’s game, four of the five usual starters tallied double digit scoring with freshman Kingston Flemings leading the way, having 21 points on senior night.
It couldn’t have been a much better home finale in Houston. There was only one lead change, and the Cougars fought to be on the winning side of it.
Houston will close out their season at Oklahoma State Saturday morning at 11am, then be on their way to Kansas for the Big 12 tournament.
Delivered by Le’Raun Peron
