No. 10 Houston Cougars vs Cincinnati Bearcats Live Updates, Box Score
In this story:
The No. 10 Houston Cougars are back home in the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center on Saturday afternoon for the second matchup of the season against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
UH returns from a two game road trip across Texas where the Cougars lost to No. 11 Texas Tech 90-86 before getting back in the win column with a 79-70 win over TCU on Wednesday night. Freshman point guard Kingston Flemings was a star in both games, where he first put up a freshman record 42 points against Tech before leading the team again in scoring with 27 against the Horned Frogs.
This game against Cincinnati will mark the halfway point of the Big 12 schedule for Houston, who are 6-1 in conference entering and 18-2 overall. The Cougars have won 12 out of their last 13 games, and will look to keep things rolling against a Cincinnati team that is 11-10 and 3-5 in the Big 12. The Bearcats are 10th in the conference,
Coogs vs Bearcats
The good news for Houston is it has already played at Cincinnati this season. That was the Big 12 opener for the Coogs, and it was a very competitive game. Houston won 67-60, and the Bearcats have been really tough to beat on their home court with a 12-2 record.
That also included a huge upset win over No. 8 Iowa State. It has been a different story on the road for Cincinnati, who are currently 0-5 and still looking for their first road win. The Cougars will look to take advantage of that riding a 15 game home win streak, one of the longest in the nation.
Houston has completely dominated the season series as of late, with the Cougars having won the last 13 games in a row. Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller is still looking for his first career win against Houston and coach Kelvin Sampson in his fifth season with the Bearcats. Miller is currently 0-10. UH leads the all-time series 33-18.
The last time the Cougars lost to the Bearcats was at Cincinnati in 2020. Houston has won the last eight home meetings and are 7-0 against the Bearcats in Fertitta Center.
Cincinnati has won three out of its last five games, including a 67-57 home win over Baylor on Wednesday. The Bearcats are led by senior forward Baba Miller, who averages a double-double of 14 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game. Houston will have to watch out for graduate guard Day Day Thomas who averages over 11 PPG. He scored a team high 15 points the last time these two teams met.
Flemings is the leading scorer for Houston with 17.5 PPG, while senior guard Emanuel Sharp comes in second with 16.5 PPG. UH needs a big game from senior point guard Milos Uzan, who put up 18 points against Cincinnati last time out. Junior forward Joseph Tugler will also need to play more minutes.
Houston faces off against Cincinnati at home. Be sure to check back here at tipoff for live updates as the game goes on.
Follow below for live updates as the game progresses.
Live Updates
Starting Lineup: G Kingston Flemings, G Milos Uzan, G Emanuel Sharp, F Joseph Tugler, F Chris Cenac Jr.
1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
Houston | 32 | ||
Cincinnati | 20 |
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 6, Cincinnati 4
A really slow start offensively for both teams and Thiam makes the first shot of the game for the Bearcats. Houston comes alive via the offensive rebound and gets a second chance dunk from Cenac Jr. and a 3-pointer from Sharp.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 12, Cincinnati 8
Sharp continues to shoot, while Flemings throws a lob to Cenac Jr. Uzan gets to his floater shot off the pick and roll as both offenses start to settle in.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 16, Cincinnati 13
Harwell hits a nice midrange shot, and Cincinnati is keeping the game close and hitting some shots of their own.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 27, Cincinnati 15
After Sharp hits his midrange, Cenac Jr. knocks down his first 3-pointer of the game. The big man hits two more from beyond the arc and is catching a heater from three. UH's defense stepped up in this period.
HALFTIME: Houston 32, Cincinnati 20
Houston maintained their 12 point advantage at the half as sophomore guard Mercy Miller came off the bench and gave a spark of five points. UH's defense closed out the half strong and Cincinnati shot just 28% from the field. Cenac Jr. was the leading scorer with 13 points, while Sharp added seven. The Cougars got slightly outrebounded however 19-18.
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 44, Cincinnati 25
Uzan hits a 3-pointer right out of halftime. Tugler goes to work on the offensive end, and the Cougars break this game open with a close to 20 point lead.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 52, Cincinnati 33
The Cougars extend the lead to 20 points after a technical foul was called against Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller. Sharp takes advantage of his attacking and goes to the free throw line.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 59, Cincinnati 33
UH's defense goes on lockdown and the Bearcats go through a five minute scoring drought. Harwell gets things going on offense and the Cougars are well in control with a 15-3 run.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 70, Cincinnati 47
Uzan takes over late for UH in this blowout, while Flemings and Miller chip in as well.
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.