3 Takeaways From Houston Cougars' Win Over Florida State

The Houston Cougars took care of the Florida State Seminoles with ease Saturday night.

Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24) reacts after a play during the second half against the Florida State Seminoles at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Saturday night was business as usual for the No. 8 Houston Cougars, defeating the Florida State Seminoles 82-67 in front of what was basically a home crowd at the Toyota Center during the Houston Hoops Showdown.

Emanuel Sharp led the Coogs with 27 points, and Kingston Flemings tacked on 21 in a game where Houston scored the first points and never trailed for the rest of the game.

The win marked number two in a row for Kelvin Sampson's team as they continue to rebound from a recent loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, so far their only defeat of the season.

Winning the Turnover Battle

Dec 6, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) controls the ball as Florida State Seminoles guard Kobe Magee (5) defends during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

For the first time this season, the Florida State Seminoles lost the turnover battle, committing 19 to Houston's 13, and it resulted in their fourth loss of the season.

Guard Robert McCray V led the team with five turnovers, while forward Chauncey Wiggins and guard Lajae Jones each had three in the loss.

They say winning the turnover battle wins you the ball game most nine times out of ten, and that is surely how it went for Houston tonight.

Sharp Continues Hot Start, Sets Season High

For the third time in the 2025 season, Houston guard Emanuel Sharp dropped over 20 points, and this time set a season-high with 27, coming nearly two weeks after he scored 26 on the Syracuse Orange during the Players Era Festival.

During his 38 minutes of play, Sharp sank 10 of his 17 attempted shots, including six of 12 from three-point territory. He also recorded three assists and a steal.

It's clear that Sharp and Flemings are going to be leading the charge in terms of scoring for Houston in the 2025 season, and both guards seem to be well-oiled machines in the early stages thus far.

A Safe Distance

The Cougars never trailed the Seminoles during the contest, but coming out of a 41-33 halftime score, Florida State began to gain steam and midway through the second half, they only trailed by five points.

Houston responded well to the pressure, though, scoring the game's next 10 points to extend their lead to 15 with a little under seven minutes remaining, and the lead was at double digits for the remainder of the competition.

The Cougars will look to continue their hot start to the 2025 season when they host the Jackson State Tigers Wednesday night.