SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Emanuel Sharp set the school record for career 3-pointers and finished with 27 points to lift No. 3 Houston over Utah 66-52 on Tuesday night.
Sharp made a career-high eight 3s on 8-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc to give him 277, surpassing Marcus Sasser (276 in 2019-23) for the school mark. The record-breaking 3 was a 30-foot jumper with 15:06 to play.
Joseph Tugler and Milos Uzan each scored 9 points for the Cougars (22-2,
10-1 Big 12), who have won five straight and 16 of their last 17.
Keanu Dawes scored 15 points and Seydou Traore added 12 to pace the Utes (9-15, 1-10 Big 12) in the first meeting between Houston and Utah in Salt Lake City.
Houston led 40-25 after Tugler scored two inside baskets and the Cougars forced three straight turnovers to start the second half on an 8-0 run. The lead grew to 22 points on Chris Cenac's dunk to make it 55-33 with 8:28 remaining.
Sharp made six consecutive 3-pointers in the first half to spark the Cougars' lead to 15 points. Tugler's free throw made it 33-18 with 4:34 until halftime before the Utes closed to 34-25.
The Cougars' aggressive defense made it difficult for Utah to even get into their offensive sets and many possessions ended with a 30-second violation or a forced shot to beat the shot clock. It was Utah's lowest scoring output of the season.
Terrence Brown, Utah's leading scorer with 21.1 points per game, didn't make a basket until the second half and finished with 12 points.
Utah, which has lost six straight, went a season-worst 2 for 17 on 3-pointers. Their previous low was five 3s.
Houston has been ranked in each of the last 120 AP polls for the nation’s longest active streak, including 25 straight weeks in the Top 10. Last Saturday's 77-66 road win over BYU propelled the Cougars to their highest spot since Nov. 24.
Houston: Hosts Kansas State on Saturday.
Utah: Visits Cincinnati on Sunday.
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