Houston (Parliament Politics Magazine) – No. 7 Houston Cougars edged No. 14 Texas Tech Red Raiders 69-65 in a hard-fought Big 12 matchup, rallying late behind Kingston Fleming’s 23-point performance.
As reported by Reuters, Kingston Flemings completed with 23 points, including nine in the final 2:11, as host No. 7 Houston rallied to edge No. 14 Texas Tech 69-65 on Tuesday, January 6, in a major early Big 12 clash.
How did No. 7 Houston secure a 69-65 victory over Texas Tech?
Texas Tech took a 55-49 lead on Donovan Atwell’s 3-pointer with 8:25 remaining, but Houston closed the gap to two points after Milos Uzan made two free throws with 5:35 left.
Kingston Flemings hit a long jumper to put Houston ahead 60-59, and after LeJuan Watts tied the game with a free throw, Flemings made a pull-up jumper with 1:42 left to give the Cougars a lead they would keep.
With 30 seconds remaining, Flemings sealed the win for Houston with a 3-pointer, allowing the Cougars (14-1, 2-0) to claim a hard-fought victory over the Red Raiders.
Emanuel Sharp added 17 points for Houston, with Chris Cenac Jr. adding 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Joseph Tugler adding 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Cougars extended their winning streak to eight consecutive games.
Jaylen Petty led Texas Tech (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) with 20 points, JT Toppin added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Donovan Atwell scored 13 points, as the Red Raiders’ four-game winning streak ended.
The game was intense from the start. JT Toppin’s jumper at 12:14 gave Texas Tech a 14-9 lead, but Houston answered with a 9-2 run, highlighted by a dunk from Cenac, to take an 18-16 lead with 7:47 left in the first half.
Houston stretched their lead to 25-19 when Tugler completed a three-point play with 5:31 left in the first half.
Texas Tech ended the first half with a 12-6 run to tie the game at 31, capped by Petty’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left. Both teams had chances in the final moments but did not score.
Petty led all scorers in the first half with 14 points, while Emanuel Sharp added 11 to lead Houston. The Cougars controlled the paint 18-4 and scored eight points off seven turnovers in the first half, though they did not score in the final 2:17.
With 15:08 remaining, Tugler’s layup gave Houston a six-point lead, but Texas Tech responded with a 9-0 run, capped by Toppin’s hook shot at 13:01, setting up a thrilling finish.
What was the final score of Houston vs Texas Tech?
Houston Cougars
- Kingston Flemings: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
- Emanuel Sharp: 17 points
- Chris Cenac Jr.: 11 points, 11 rebounds
- Joseph Tugler: 11 points, 10 rebounds
Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Jaylen Petty: 20 points, 2 rebounds
- JT Toppin: 18 points, 11 rebounds
- Donovan Atwell: 13 points, 5 rebounds
- LeJuan Watts: 4 points, 6 rebounds
- Christian Anderson: 2 points, 5 assists
When are Houston and Texas Tech scheduled to play their next game?
The Houston Cougars will face Baylor on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at noon CT in Waco, Texas.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are scheduled to face Colorado on Saturday, January 10, 2026, with tip-off set for 6 pm CT in Boulder.
The two teams will meet again later in the season on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
