No. 4 Arizona Hands No. 2 Houston Its 1st Home Loss of the Season
#Arizona#Houston#Big 12#College Basketball#No. 4 Arizona#No. 2 Houston#Anthony Dell'Orso#First Home Loss
📌 Key Takeaways
Arizona defeated Houston 73-66 to hand them their first home loss
Anthony Dell'Orso scored a season-high 22 points for Arizona
Arizona moved into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference
Houston lost consecutive games for the first time this season
Arizona overcame a two-point deficit with a 12-0 run to secure the win
📖 Full Retelling
No. 4 Arizona defeated No. 2 Houston 73-66 on Saturday, February 21, 2026, handing the Cougars their first home loss of the season and moving into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference, with Anthony Dell'Orso tying a season high with 22 points in the road victory. The Wildcats (25-2, 12-2), who had opened the season with a 23-0 record before consecutive losses to Kansas and Texas Tech, bounced back with their second straight win by overcoming a two-point deficit with a 12-0 run to take a 60-50 lead with about five minutes remaining. Houston (23-4, 11-3), who had been riding a six-game winning streak, struggled offensively during this critical stretch, missing eight consecutive shots and committing three turnovers that allowed Arizona to build their lead. The Cougars hadn't scored for about eight minutes when Emanuel Sharp finally made two free throws with 4½ minutes remaining, but it was too little too late as Jaden Bradley's four straight points sealed the victory for Arizona.
🏷️ Themes
College Basketball, Big 12 Conference, Road Victory, Upset
Amateur basketball played by students of higher education institutions
College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athletic bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercolle...
Houston ( HEW-stən) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.3 million at the 2020 census. The Greater Houston metropolitan area, at 7.8 million residents, is the fifth-most ...
Arizona is a landlocked state in the Southwestern United States, sharing the Four Corners region with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the northwest and California to the west, and shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the so...
Arizona's first home loss snapped a 23-0 start and moved the Wildcats to sole possession of first place in the Big 12. The defeat also marked Houston's first home loss of the season, affecting the conference race and national rankings.
Context & Background
Arizona finished the game 25-2 overall and 12-2 in conference play
Houston ended with a 23-4 record, 11-3 in the Big 12
Arizona had been undefeated at home before this loss
The win gave Arizona a 73-66 victory over the second-ranked Cougars
Houston's loss was their first home defeat of the season
What Happens Next
Arizona will now lead the Big 12 and will look to maintain momentum in upcoming conference games. Houston will aim to rebound in their next matchup and close the gap in the standings. Both teams will be under scrutiny as the season progresses toward the Big 12 tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the final score of the game?
Arizona defeated Houston 73-66
Who was the leading scorer for Arizona?
Anthony Dell'Orso scored 22 points
Why is this game significant for Arizona?
It was Arizona's first home loss and secured sole first place in the Big 12
Original Source
- No Data Available - BROWSE BY SPORTS & TEAMS PLAYERS SHOWS PERSONALITIES TOPICS Built on College Basketball College Basketball No. 4 Arizona Hands No. 2 Houston Its 1st Home Loss of the Season Updated Feb. 21, 2026 6:16 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Anthony Dell’Orso tied a season high with 22 points and No. 4 Arizona toppled second-ranked Houston 73-66 on Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference. Arizona (25-2, 12-2), which opened the season 23-0, won its second straight game following consecutive losses to then-No. 9 Kansas and then- 16th-ranked Texas Tech, that knocked the team out of the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 poll. The Wildcats were down by two before scoring the next 12 points to make it 60-50 with about five minutes remaining. The Cougars missed eight consecutive shots and had three turnovers in that stretch to allow Arizona to build the lead. Houston (23-4, 11-3) hadn’t scored in about eight minutes when Emanuel Sharp made two free throws with 4 ½ minutes to go. Kalifa Sakho made two more free throws to cut the lead to 60-54 with less than four minutes remaining. It had been more than 10 minutes since the Cougars made a field goal when a 3-pointer by Kingston Flemings got them within 61-57, but Arizona got four straight points by Jaden Bradley to pad the lead with just over a minute left. Flemings had 17 points and Sharp added 14 for the Cougars, who lost consecutive games for the first time this season after falling 70-67 at No. 6 Iowa State on Monday night to end a six-game winning streak. The Cougars struggled to take care of the ball, committing 12 turnovers that led to 16 points for the Wildcats. Arizona led by as many as 10 in the first half and was up by four early in the second half before the Cougars used an 8-2 run to make it 44-42, giving them their first lead of the game with about 14 minutes left. Reporting by The Associated Press.
