The Good, Bad and Ugly of No. 7 Houston Cougars’ Rout of Arizona State
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The No. 7 Houston Cougars won their 11th straight game in a breakout offensive performance, 103-73, on Sunday evening in Fertitta Center to improve to 17-1 on the season and 5-0 in the Big 12.
Houston was in control right from the start in this blackout game, and this was their 15th straight home win. While No. 1 Arizona had some issues with Arizona State, Houston had no issues taking care of business for the most part. The Cougars now lead the all-time series against ASU 4-3.
Here’s the good, bad, and ugly.
Good: Offense on Fire
The reason Houston won this game was actually the offense. Typically, the Cougars win through their defense, and that was looking like the case early, but that unraveled a bit in the second half. UH has put together some strong offensive performances this season, putting up point totals that are much higher than anything we have seen during the Coach Kelvin Sampson era.
103 was the most points Houston has scored in a game in regulation in over three years. The last time was Nov. 29, 2022, against Norfolk State, where the Cougars scored 100.
Houston also scored 99 points against then No. 14 Arkansas in December. That was the most points the Cougars have scored in regulation against a ranked team in over 15 years.
UH had all five of its starters in double digits. Houston shot 56% from the field overall and 48% from three (12/25). The Cougars also took advantage of their free throws, making 11/12.
Freshman phenom point guard Kingston Flemings was the leading scorer with 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. Freshman stretch big Chris Cenac Jr. put up a career high 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Senior point guard Milos Uzan has looked great recently and came up with 16 and hit four 3-pointers. Senior guard Emanuel Sharp also scored 16. Finally, junior forward Joseph Tugler added 12.
Houston was great off turnovers as usual, with 31 points off 17 turnovers. The Cougars dominated in the paint with 44 points, double what ASU did. UH was incredible in the first half with 56 points and shot 50% from three, along with 55% from the field.
Bad: Arizona State Run in Second Half
Houston was completely dominating by 33 points early in the second half. After a 3-pointer from Uzan, Houston was up 66-33 with 18:10 left. Arizona State kept chipping away at the lead and eventually brought it all the way down to 13 with 7:31 left.
It was suddenly a game. The Sun Devils went on a 14-0 run and got to the free-throw line. Houston was up 27 with 11 minutes left, but was quickly down to 13. Maurice Odum was a big part of that run for ASU.
Ugly: Defense, Foul Trouble
Houston did a great job defensively early in the game. The Cougars were up 24-2 and 30-5 through the first nine minutes. Arizona State scored 29 points in the first half and shot 37% from the field while only attempting two free throws.
It changed in the second half. The Cougars' defense was lacking, and it’s likely Sampson was not pleased with it. The Sun Devils scored 44 points in the second half and honestly matched Houston in almost every category. ASU shot 46% from the field but also got to the line a lot. That is, a whopping 22 times. Arizona State went 19/22, and Houston struggled in terms of fouling.
Sharp and freshman guard Chase McCarty each had three fouls in the second half. Tugler also had three in this game. ASU had double the number of free throws as Houston.
Arizona State was also competitive on the boards. Houston won the rebounding battle 33-30, but ASU also had 17 second-chance points compared to 18 for UH. The Sun Devils had four players in double digits and matched points off turnovers in the second half. Houston actually had six turnovers compared to five for ASU in the last 20 minutes.
Houston will have the week off before taking on Texas Tech on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. with College GameDay in Lubbock.
Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.