What Happened Last Time Texas Tech Played Houston?

Round one went to the Houston Cougars.

Round two has yet to be determined, but Texas Tech is hosting this time at United SuperMarkets Arena and will want revenge after losing 69-65 at the Fertitta Center.

When both schools met for the first time this season, the Cougars were ranked No. 7, and the Red Raiders were ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25. Now both programs have moved up in the rankings and are looking to improve their ranking even further next week if a win occurs on Saturday.

In the first contest, it was a back-and-forth affair where both were tied at 31 going to the locker room, but Houston had more fuel and reached the finish line with more big plays on offense.

Team Comparison

Kingston Flemings playing basketball against the Texas Tech Raiders. — Jan 6, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) reacts after making a three-point basket during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

When a fan looks at the stats, Tech's shooting was better than Houston's. From the field, Tech was 41 percent, and from downtown, 32 percent. As for Houston, it was only 39 percent from the field, going 24 percent from three. Houston did have 61 field goal attempts compared to Tech, who had 56, but what ultimately made one of the differences was knocking down free throws and points in the paint.

At the charity stripe, the Cougars were 17 of 22 from the line while Tech was 10 of 11 but wasn’t able to draw enough fouls to have more free trips. Another difference was how Houston was able to dish the ball inside and record 28 paint points, while Tech had only 20.

Defensively, coach Kelvin Sampson’s team locked in on its assignments and gave coach Grant McCasland’s offense trouble, which was not careful with the basketball. Tech had 14 turnovers, which played a big role against Houston, which posted only six all game.

Fastbreak points were also a major category in which the Cougars found a way to win, scoring nine points while the Red Raiders had only two.

One category Houston also won was the rebound battle, where Tech finished with fewer offensive rebounds but more defensive rebounds. At the conclusion, Houston barely won the rebound battle 36-35 but was able to crash the glass and box out well.

Players That Had the Biggest Impact

For the Cougars, the offense had an enormous day from freshman Kingston Flemings, who recorded 23 points, going 9 of 19 from the field and 2 of 6 from deep. Nine of his points came in the final three minutes when he nailed a pair of 3s, made a jumper, and made a free throw. Another elite freshman was Chris Cenac Jr., who had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

As for Tech, their leading scorer, JT Toppin, finished with 18 points but wasn't the offensive leader that evening, as Jaylen Petty registered 20 points, going 5 of 9 from behind the arc. Lejuan Watts piled up the most rebounds with seven and was in foul trouble with Toppin with four each, but couldn’t prevail in the final minutes.

To catch the second matchup between the two programs, turn on the television on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., when the game will be telecast on ESPN.