There was no big rescue from Bennedict Mathurin for Arizona on Thursday night. Houston’s defense suffocated the Wildcats’ leading scorer all night as the Cougars went on to win, 72–60, on Thursday.
With the victory, the Cougars (32–5) earned their second consecutive Elite Eight appearance and seventh in school history. Houston also recorded its third 32-win season in school history and snapped a three-game losing streak to Arizona with the victory. Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson improved to 10–3 in NCAA tournaments with the team.
Houston led Arizona, 34–28, at halftime and held the Wildcats to 28% shooting from the floor. The Wildcats cut their deficit within two points twice during the first seven minutes of the second half. But each time, the Cougars responded with timely buckets.
