FORT WORTH, Texas β Justin Gorham made four free throws in the final 27 seconds and No. 7 Houston held on for a 76-74 win over Memphis in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Cougars will face Cincinnati in Sunday's championship. Boogie Ellis had 27 points for Memphis, an NCAA bubble team.
Gorham scored Houston's last six points. Quentin Grimes had 21 points with five 3-pointers for 23-3 Houston. The Tigers overcame a 12-point halftime deficit and took the lead in the second half.
Texas Southern in the Dance
Karl Nicholas scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Texas Southern placed five in double-figure scoring to upset top-seeded Prairie View A&M 80-61 in the Southwest Athletic Conference championship game.
The win punches Texas Southernβs ticket for a ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, first since 2018. Jordan Gilliam and Justin Hopkins each scored 15 points for the third-seeded Tigers.
There were seven lead changes and six ties early but the Tigers broke things open late in the first half. Faite Williams led the Panthers with 14 points, Jawaun Daniels added 13. Williams scored 18 and 14 to lead the Panthers in scoring in the last two games after scoring 16 combined in the previous three.
