LJ Cryer poured in 20 points and hit six 3-pointers to help top-ranked Houston roll to an 82-59 victory over No. 25 Texas Tech on Friday in the first semifinal game in the Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
The Cougars (30-3), this event's No. 1 seed, won their 11th straight game and will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 7 Iowa State (the second seed) and No. 14 Baylor (the third seed) on Saturday evening, with the Big 12's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the offing.
Houston led by just three points at halftime after a spirited Red Raiders rally over the final five minutes of the first half. But the second half belonged to the Cougars as they scored 20 of the game's 21 points over a six and a half minute stretch after Texas Tech tied the contest for the first time with 17:40 to play.
At the end of that run, Houston led 57-38.
Emanuel Sharp added 17 points for the Cougars while Jamal Shead and Ja'Vier Francis scored 12 each. Houston led by as many as 27 points over the final eight minutes of the game and held Texas Tech to 33.3 percent shooting while forcing 19 turnovers.
Chance McMillian paced the Red Raiders (23-10) with 15 points, with Joe Toussaint and little-used Eemeli Yalaho scoring 10 each. Texas Tech (the fourth seed in the Big 12 tourney) is in line to receive an at-large bid into the NCAAs after finishing tied for third in the Big 12 in the regular season.
The Cougars took charge from the jump, building a 15-5 lead after a 3-pointer by Cryer at the 14:31 mark of the first half. Houston pushed its advantage to 16 points when Sharp grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a jumper with 10:55 to play before halftime.
McMillan hit a jumper and then a 3-pointer, the latter with 3:37 left in the half, to pare the Red Raiders' deficit to 10 points. Texas Tech was far from finished, as back-to-back jumpers from beyond the arc from McMillian and Yalaho punctuated a 14-0 run that brought them to within two points with 2:12 to play in the half. Yalaho's layup with 11 seconds left then culled the Red Raiders' deficit to 32-29 at the break.
McMillian's 10 points led all scorers in the half while Cryer paced the Cougars with 9 points.
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