NCAA Basketball: Best games from 2019-20 season – BYU vs. Houston

The early season matchup between BYU and Houston was a fantastic game; let’s remember how it all happened.

Many hopes and dreams were crushed last March as the national pandemic canceled most of the postseason, including the entire NCAA Tournament. However, there was still a multitude of exciting games to remember. Our deep look into the top 40 games from the 2019-20 season takes us way back to mid-November as we glance back at a fantastic nonconference matchup in Texas.

27. BYU 72, Houston 71

November 15, 2019, Fertitta Center in Houston, TX

The college basketball season may have been shortened, but it certainly delivered with some exciting matchups.  After Houston took care of business in Provo twelve months earlier, BYU and Houston prepared for round two down in southeastern Texas. These weren’t two teams that were exactly seen as title contenders, but they both still had some great pieces and talent on the roster.

With the ever difficult task of competing with Gonzaga in the WCC, BYU was also breaking in a new head coach in former assistant Mark Pope. Though big man Yoeli Childs was unavailable, T. J. Haws, Jake Toolson, and Alex Barcello were all playing solid enough ball to begin the season. The Cougars had just lost at home to a tough San Diego State team, and this trip to Houston was not only their first road trip but a chance to show they belonged just over a week before the Maui Invitational.

Houston had only played one game to this point, a win over Alabama State, but was excited to have Kansas transfer Quentin Grimes suiting up for the Cougars. They had lost Armoni Brooks and Corey Davis Jr. from last year’s team that had won 33 games, but Grimes and a solid recruiting class helped fill those holes. The AAC remained open for the Cougars and this home date with BYU was certainly a good start to that training.

The shots fell early but then ceased for Houston, as they grabbed a very early lead before failing to score for over four minutes, falling behind 10-5. BYU was shooting the ball well early, while Houston played sloppy basketball on both sides. A Toolson 3-pointer gave BYU a 7-point lead nine minutes into the game, but things would only get worse for the home team.

Between a couple of 3-pointers and an and-one, BYU would score on their next four possessions, building a 28-15 lead. A few minutes later, another Toolson long-range shot gave his Cougars a 14-point advantage. The teams would trade baskets over the final few minutes until Houston’s defense went to work. They kept BYU off the board in the final four minutes of the first half. BYU was able to limit the damage and held a 7-point lead headed into the half.

Houston’s offense played better in the initial run of the second half, with made baskets from Fabian White Jr. and DeJon Jarreau out of the gate. They pulled to within four points on multiple occasions, but BYU got a long-range shot from TJ Haws to put them up by eight at the 15-minute mark.

The hosts got back on track with more made shots as the second half progressed, though they never seemed to be able to get over the hump. Houston pulled to within a single point with just under nine minutes left, but BYU had an answer as per usual. The two Cougars squads traded baskets down the stretch with Houston desperately needing a few stops to regain the momentum.

A pair of Kolby Lee layups gave BYU a six-point lead, but Houston’s shooters responded. They got 3-pointers from Caleb Mills and Cedrick Alley Jr. on back-to-back possessions, while a big shot by Grimes tied the game with two and a half minutes left. Toolson silenced the crowd with another 3-pointer, but Mills wasn’t done performing either. He made a jumper on the next possession and hit a key pair of free throws a minute later, giving Houston their first lead in a very long time.

A chaotic final minute saw neither team able to do much offensively. A pair of Toolson turnovers were met with missed shots and a Houston turnover the final seconds. Playing hero much like older brother Tyler once had, TJ Haws had the final say. His contested jumper as the buzzer sounded won the game for BYU, silencing and shocking the home crowd.

Haws only made 4 of his 13 shots but he made the one that mattered, leading his Cougars to a hard-fought road win. They nearly blew what became a 14-point first-half lead, but the offense did just enough to win the game.

Despite 15 turnovers, BYU got 16 points from Barcello and 14 apiece from Toolson and Lee, though clearly, it was Haws who was the difference-maker in the end. Mills had 17 points off the bench for Houston, but the team needed a little bit more to dig out of that large hole.

Though the loss certainly stung, especially in such dramatic fashion, Houston still put together a very solid season. They dropped a few more tough nonconference games, but played great in AAC play, rising as high as #20 in the rankings as the season progressed. Houston earned the 2nd seed, though didn’t get a chance to play any postseason ball.

BYU, on the other hand, was a surprise team this season, and this win at Houston certainly helped jumpstart things. They finished in 3rd place at the Maui Invitational, with wins over UCLA and Virginia Tech. They played well in WCC play, including an upset win at home over Gonzaga. By season’s end, they had risen to #14 in the rankings, though they fell to Saint Mary’s in the WCC Tournament semifinals in a close and exciting game.

It’s a shame that neither of these Cougars really got a chance to shine at the postseason level. This BYU team was set to break a five-year drought from the NCAA Tournament while Houston had put together some fantastic ball by the end of the season. Both squads will certainly look different moving forward, but at least they gave us this fantastic game, punctuated by that marvelous buzzer-beater from Haws.