No. 7 Houston flexes its defensive muscles vs. Utah

Utah Utes forward Keanu Dawes (8) attempts to shoot as Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) and guard L.J. Cryer (4) defend during the second half at Fertitta Center. The Cougars defeated the Utes 70-36. Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

No. 7 Houston flexes its defensive muscles in blowout vs. Utah

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 10:41 PM ET

The Houston Cougars' stingy defense was at full power on Wednesday night against the Utah Utes.

The Cougars defeated Utah 70-36 in their home game. ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello, citing ESPN Stats and Information, shared that Utah's 36 points against Houston are tied for the fewest in a Big 12 regular-season conference game. It's also the Utes' fewest in a game since December 2011 and their second-fewest since 1980.

Via @ESPNStatsInfo: Utah’s 36 points tonight against Houston are tied for the fewest in a Big 12 regular-season conference game. It’s also the program’s fewest in a game since December 2011 and second-fewest since 1980.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 23, 2025

Surprisingly, Utah is a decent offensive team. Entering Wednesday's game, the Utes were averaging 80.2 points per game, sixth in the Big 12.

Houston, however, is elite defensively. Before Wednesday night's matchup, the Cougars ranked No. 1 in the country in points allowed (55 PPG) and field-goal percentage allowed (35.6%).

Against Utah, Houston forced 26 turnovers, turning 29 of them into points. The Utes also went 13-of-43 from the field, compounding their offensive problems against the Cougars.

Cougars junior guard Emanuel Sharp was sidelined with an ankle injury, making their dominant defensive performance even more impressive. Through his first 17 games, Sharp led the team in steals (1.3).

The No. 7-ranked Cougars improved to 15-3 following the victory over Utah (11-7). On Saturday, they'll face the No. 12 Kansas Jayhawks (14-4) in a road game at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. It could be a massive opportunity for Houston.

In his latest bracket, ESPN's Joe Lunardi projected Houston as the No. 4 seed in the South region of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars could improve their position if they earn more quality wins. According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, they're 2-3 against teams in its top 50.

As long as Houston's defense continues to stymie teams, it should be able to do that.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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