Live Game Thread & Updates for No. 14 Kansas vs No. 5 Houston

Kansas and Houston are set to tip off a crucial Big 12 battle tonight in a game that could go a long way in determining each team's Big 12 Tournament seeding. Both schools are coming off home losses on Saturday and face a quick turnaround nearly 48 hours from their last defeat.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN, but if you cannot tune into the contest or want live highlights, refresh this page periodically once it begins so you can keep up with the score throughout the night.

Kansas vs. Houston Live: First Half Updates

Kansas Jayhawks fans celebrate a three-pointer made against BYU Cougars by Kansas Jayhawks guard Tre White (3) during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 31, 2026. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pregame - Same starting five as usual for the Jayhawks. Melvin Council Jr., Darryn Peterson, and Tre White in the backcourt, along with Bryson Tiller and Flory Bidunga in the frontcourt. For Houston, Milos Uzan, Kingston Flemings, and Emmanuel Sharp are the guards, while Chris Cenac Jr. and Joseph Tugler will man the frontcourt.

18:21 - Tiller gets the scoring started with a crafty and-1 off an offensive rebound. Houston has missed its first three shot attempts. Kansas leads, 3-0.

16:45 - The Cougars are struggling to get their offensive in a rhythm early on. Cenac Jr. has missed his first three field goal attempts. Kansas leads, 3-2.

15:54 - Some questionable possessions for Kansas thus far. Peterson has yet to score a basket, and the team has multiple turnovers going into the first TV timeout. Houston leads, 4-3.

14:08 - The offense has left off from where it was last game. Four turnovers, one made field goal, and an early eight-point hole as Bill Self signals for his first timeout. Houston leads, 11-3.

Step back, 💰

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— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) February 24, 2026

13:07 - White and Peterson knock down a pair from the charity stripe to cut the deficit. KU has tightened up its defense since the timeout. Houston leads, 11-7.

11:43 - The Jayhawks are currently shooting an abysmal 1-for-10 from the field. That isn't going to cut it against a defense of this caliber. Self needs to start drawing up some offensive plays that will work. Houston leads, 13-7.

10:12 - Peterson is not getting the benefit of the doubt from the refs. He has now picked up two fouls on what appeared to be a clean block on the defensive end. The rest of the team is visibly frustrated with the officiating. Houston leads, 17-11.

7:26 - Kansas is getting bullied on both ends right now. The offense has looked quite ugly all night. Houston leads, 21-15.

5:34 - Jamari McDowell ignites the crowd with a much-needed 3-pointer. That might spark something in this offense, and it certainly woke up the fans. Houston leads, 23-20.

2:33 - Bidunga finally gets on the board with a dunk. He is 1-for-5 from the field so far. Peterson is now up to six points but is shooting an abysmal 2-for-9 overall, as he is forcing a lot of jumpers due to UH's stifling defense. It would be huge if KU could close the gap a bit over the final two and a half minutes of the first. Houston leads, 27-22.

1:48 - White has scored five straight and has tied the game with under two minutes to go in the half. The three-time transfer is 6-for-6 from the line and just knocked down a game-tying long-ball. Kansas and Houston are tied, 27-27.

Halftime - Although Kansas played subpar for much of the half, it ended the final few minutes on a massive 11-0 run spearheaded by White. He and Peterson have combined for 19 of the team's 31 points. One of the biggest aspects contributing to the comeback is the Jayhawks' perfect 11-for-11 shooting from the free throw line. UH is shooting just 11-for-33 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point range. Kansas leads, 31-27.

Second Half

19:08 - Houston is throwing double teams at Peterson and Bidunga to open the half. Coach Sampson is trying to apply some pressure to dig his team out of this deficit, but the Cougars already have two team fouls in under a minute. Kansas leads, 31-29.

17:58 - Emmanuel Sharp finally scores his first three points of the night, but Kingston Flemings is unable to capitalize off a KU miss. White found Council down the court for an exciting fast-break dunk. Kansas leads, 35-32.

15:33 - Tiller was fouled on an alley-oop attempt and will head to the line for a pair after the TV timeout. At the 16-minute mark, Council picked up an old-fashioned 3-point play on a goaltend at the rim, followed by a made free throw attempt. Kansas leads, 40-35.

13:51 - Biggest lead of the night for Kansas, which has extended it to double digits. White just brought the house down with a corner three and now boasts a game-high 16 points. Quite the bounce back showing from the senior wing. Kansas leads, 45-35.

12:00 - The Jayhawks are on an 11-0 run and have not let the Cougars make a field goal in nearly five minutes. The environment in Allen Fieldhouse is absolutely electric. Tiller will go to the line to shoot his sixth and seventh free throws of the contest following the timeout. Kansas leads, 48-35.

How to Watch Kansas vs. Houston

Time: 8 p.m. CT
Channel: ESPN
Link: Watch ESPN