Houston Cruises Past Idaho in First Round of NCAA Tournament

Houston basketball secured a dominant 78-47 win over the Idaho Vandals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, inside the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

The Cougars went on a huge first-half run to put away the Vandals early in the game. Houston also gashed Idaho for 36 points in the paint to walk away with a commanding victory.

Next up, the Cougars will take on the Texas A&M Aggies with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16 on Saturday, March 21, in Oklahoma City.

Houston vs Idaho Game Recap

Houston senior guard Milos Uza — Mar 19, 2026; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) dribbles the ball while Idaho Vandals guard Kolton Mitchell (14) defends during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Vandals came out hot out of the gate, jumping out to an early 10-7 lead with their star freshman forward Jackson Rasmussen knocking down a 5-foot hook shoot.

Houston put a stop to Idaho hanging around early as they went on a 26-4 run to completely shut down the Vandals’ momentum.

Senior guard Emanuel Sharp powered the scoring run with 12 first-half points, making all three of his three-point attempts.

He finished with 16 points, while only missing one of his seven field goal attempts in the game.

Freshman guard Kingston Flemings ran the show for UH as usual, and he led all scorers with 18 points.

Flemings dismantled Idaho’s defense with his mid-range jumper, and that will be a key shot for the young guard throughout the rest of this tournament.

Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. made it a point to have more of an impact on each and every game early in conference play, and tonight he set a career-high rebound total, finishing the game with 18.

If Cenac can maintain this level of aggressiveness on the boards, the Cougars will be a near impossible team to beat going forward.

Senior guard Milos Uzan got back to hitting his signature floaters in the opening round victory, and he finished with 12 points, including two made three-pointers.

After exploding for a career-high 20 points in Houston’s last contest, junior forward Joseph Tugler once again made a difference on the offensive end, finishing the game with 13 points.

Freshman guard Mercy Miller got his first significant minutes in the NCAA Tournament, and he made the most of it.

Miller ended the game with 10 points in his 24 minutes of play, and he will be an x-factor coming off the bench going forward.

Now, Houston turns its focus to facing the Aggies on Saturday night, which will be a rematch from 2024, where the Cougars won 100-95 in overtime in the Round of 32.