No. 5 Houston Cougars vs No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks Live Updates, Box Score
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The No. 5 Houston Cougars are continuing their journey in the Big 12 tournament and it’s bound to be a special semifinal this time around against the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks. Houston, who is the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament will face No. 3 seed Kansas in what promises to be an intriguing matchup.
Both these teams only faced each other once this season in Allen Fieldhouse almost three weeks ago where Kansas won 69-56 for Houston’s largest loss in over two years. The Cougars were going through their three game gauntlet at the time and were clearly fatigued in the second half after playing a grueling 48 minutes vs Arizona 48 hours prior.
This will be a different rematch this time around. Both teams played on Thursday night and came out with wins at the end in a tight game. Houston beat No. 10 seed BYU 73-67 thanks to 17 points from freshman point guard Kingston Flemings and a couple of late 3-pointers took them over the top.
Meanwhile, Kansas found a way late against No. 6 seed TCU for a 78-73 win where freshman guard Darryn Peterson contributed 23 points and eight rebounds.
Coogs vs Jayhawks
This is the third straight semifinals appearance for Houston and the eighth straight semifinals appearance in any conference tournament.
Kansas leads the all-time season series 7-5, but Houston has won three out of the last four games. Flemings, the first freshman All-American in Houston history and the all-time freshman scoring leader, averages 16.5 PPG, 5.4 APG, on 48% shooting. Sharp is right behind him at 15.8 PPG.
Houston is 6-1 in the Big 12 tournament so far and has advanced to the title game the last two seasons. The Cougars have advanced to the title game of their conference tournament in each of the last seven seasons.
Peterson is the leading scorer for Kansas with 20 PPG and 4.4 RPG. Sophomore forward Flory Bidunga is the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and averages 13.8 PPG along with 9.1 RPG and 2.7 blocks.
Houston faces off against Kansas in Kansas City. 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
1st Half | 2nd Half | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
Houston | 33 | 36 | 69 |
Kansas | 25 | 22 | 47 |
Starting Lineup: G Kingston Flemings, G Milos Uzan, G Emanuel Sharp, F Joseph Tugler, F Chris Cenac Jr.
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 13, Kansas 5
The Cougars got out to a blistering start, and it was probably the best first four minutes they have played all season. Houston was up 13-2 out of the gate thanks to its lock-down defense while Flemings and Uzan knocked down threes.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 15, Kansas 7
Kansas tried to cut into the deficit but Flemings and the defense maintained it.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 29, Kansas 17
Cenac Jr. comes to life big-time and hits multiple 3-pointers. Kansas cut it to five, but Houston responded with jumpers from multiple players and got the lead past double digits.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 29, Kansas 20
Houston's defense continued to pose a challenge for Kansas.
HALFTIME: Houston 33, Kansas 25
The Jayhawks hung around and made it a single digit deficit before half, but the Cougars were firmly in control towards the end. KU went on an 8-0 run capped by a Peterson slam, but Houston made some free throws right before the half ended. Cenac Jr. was the leading scorer with 15 points and seven rebounds. Houston was 5/8 from three.
Under 16 Timeout: Houston 45, Kansas 27
Houston went on a 12-2 run over a five minute stretch from the end of the first half and the Cougars suddenly broke it open with close to a 20 point lead. Flemings was active while Sharp hit a deep three.
Under 12 Timeout: Houston 52, Kansas 27
Flemings and Sharp both added a couple more from downtown and the defense was stifling as the lead grew well over 20.
Under 8 Timeout: Houston 54, Kansas 34
Houston continued to stay in control, and Kansas finally got its first bucket of the second half.
Under 4 Timeout: Houston 67, Kansas 46
Rosario scored eight points off the bench for Kansas as the benches started to clear for both teams. Sakho had a nice dunk off a Sharp assist and Sharp hit another 3-pointer.
FINAL: Houston 69, Kansas 47
Both the freshmen in Cenac Jr. and Flemings were the leading scorers as Flemings scored 21 and Cenac Jr. 17 and 14 rebounds. Kansas shot just 25% from the field while Houston was 42% and 56% from three.
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.