Quarterfinals Recap of the 2024 Big 12 Tournament
Kansas City, MO - There already have been multiple upsets as we enter the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournaments. In the first game of the afternoon, BYU (#5) will look to continue their hot shooting from deep when they take on Texas Tech (#4). The second game of the quarterfinals will have TCU (#8) and the number one seed and ranked team in the nation, the Houston Cougars (#1). Next, Kansas State (#10) will look to convert another upset as they take on Iowa State (#2). The final game of the quarterfinals will be between Cincinnati (#11) and Baylor (#3), in what should be a very competitive game.
BYU (#5) vs. Texas Tech (#4)
Texas Tech came in shooting on fire as they quickly built a lead against the Cougars. BYU struggled to score early unlike yesterday’s performance against UCF. It seemed like the Cougars used all their three-point shooting ability in their first game as they couldn’t get anything to drop. As a result, the Red Raiders built and maintained a double-digit lead for most of the first half. At the end of the first half, Texas Tech led 42-23.
Unfortunately for the Cougars, the beginning of the second half went almost exactly like the first half as they could not shoot the ball efficiently. The Cougars finally started to get into gear in the last ten minutes of the game and narrowed the lead to single digits. The Red Raiders went over a six-minute stretch without scoring a field goal which allowed BYU to march back into it. In the end, it was too late of a comeback by BYU as they lost to the Red Raiders, 81-67.
TCU (#8) vs. Houston (#1)
Houston’s defense is no joke. They held TCU scoreless for the first nine minutes. This resulted in Houston building a quick double-digit lead and completely dominating both ends of the court. TCU didn’t score their first points of the game until the 10:27 mark as Micah Peavy tipped in a missed shot. There wasn’t a lot of action as Houston just continued to play excellent defense and force turnovers. The Cougars only allowed 15 first-half points as they led at the break, 31-15. The second half played out exactly like the first half as Houston continued to crush the spirits of TCU. The final score of the game was 60-45.
Kansas State (#10) vs. Iowa State (#2)
Tamin Lapsey and the rest of the Cyclones got off to a quick start as Kansas St. got into early foul trouble. They built up a small lead and maintained it for most of the first half. Both teams struggled to score the ball which was expected as they both emphasized defense over offense. The first half was a prime example of Big 12 basketball as the first half ended, 34-27. Tylor Perry tried to rally his team to a comeback in the second half but due to foul trouble, he wasn’t able to be on the floor as much as he wanted. Iowa State built a 17-point lead with less than seven minutes to go and the Wildcats could not close the deficit. Kansas State’s run in the Big 12 tournament has ended as the Cyclones won handily, 76-57.
Cincinnati (#11) vs. Baylor (#3)
It was a very sloppy first few minutes by Baylor as Cincinnati took an early lead. Dan Skillings Jr. remained efficient on the offensive side of the floor after he scored 25 in their win over Kansas in the second round of the tournament. Baylor started doing work on the defensive end as they forced turnovers which led to points on the other side. There were consistent themes in all of the games in this tournament today, low scoring, great defense, and physical play. The first half was another prime example of what Big 12 basketball is all about.
Baylor shifted to a zone defense to start the second half and it troubled Cincinnati. The Bears went on a quick 7-0 after they started forcing turnovers and getting transition buckets. Baylor’s key players in RayJ Dennis and Ja’kobe Walker finally started hitting their shots. The Bearcats went on a 10-0 run of their own, shrinking the lead back down to four points. In the end, Baylor was just too dominant in the end as the Bears won 68-56.
