No. 5 Houston Suffers Lopsided Loss to No. 14 Kansas, Drops Third Straight
The Houston Cougars have now fallen in three consecutive games, slipping further behind in the Big 12 race after a decisive 69–56 defeat at the hands of Kansas on Monday night. Playing at Allen Fieldhouse once again proved to be a daunting challenge, as Houston struggled to keep pace.
It marks the first time since 2017 that the Cougars have endured a three-game skid, raising concerns about the team’s direction moving forward.
Houston will try to regroup on Saturday at 11 a.m. when it hosts the Colorado Buffaloes at the Fertitta Center.
Game Recap: Houston vs. Kansas
Houston started strong, building an early seven-point advantage. However, the momentum quickly shifted as Kansas responded and carried a 31–27 lead into halftime.
The second half followed a familiar pattern for the Cougars. Offensive stagnation plagued the team once again, including a stretch of more than five minutes without a made field goal. Similar scoring droughts have hurt Houston in its previous two losses, and Monday night was no exception.
Kansas capitalized, stretching its lead to 20 points — Houston’s largest deficit of the season — while the Cougars struggled to generate offense.
Senior guard Tre White powered the Jayhawks with 23 points, leading Kansas to a commanding win.
For Houston, freshman guard Kingston Flemings was a bright spot among the starters, scoring 16 points. In the process, he became the program’s all-time leading freshman scorer, underscoring his growing importance to the team.
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller provided a lift off the bench with nine points and five rebounds, showing encouraging development.
However, Houston’s veteran leaders failed to assert themselves. Senior guard Emanuel Sharp continued to struggle from the field, shooting just 1-for-10 — a performance that makes it difficult for the Cougars to succeed. Senior guard Milos Uzan added only seven points on 3-of-7 shooting, while junior forward Joseph Tugler was unable to make his usual defensive impact.
Houston’s current losing streak has exposed issues on both ends of the floor. If the Cougars hope to contend for a national championship this season, they must return to their trademark physical defense and find ways to prevent the prolonged offensive lapses that have derailed them in recent games.
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