No. 3 Houston carries defensive calling card into clash vs. Utah

Stingy defense remains a trademark for No. 3 Houston, which is making a push for a third straight regular-season Big 12 title.

Houston heads into Tuesday's matchup against Utah in Salt Lake City near or at the top of the Big 12 in numerous key defensive categories. The Cougars lead the league in scoring defense (61.6 points per game) and rank third in field-goal defense at 39.3%.

Tough defense helped Houston (21-2, 9-1 Big 12) pull away late from then-No. 16 BYU for a 77-66 victory Saturday night.