Houston guard Emanuel Sharp making a free throw during the first half of Men’s Basketball versus Kansas State, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Houston, Texas | Luis Diego Gonzalez/The Cougar
No. 2 Houston traveled to Ames, Iowa, to play against the No. 6 Iowa State Cyclones in what would be a close game that the Cyclones ultimately won against the Coogs 70-67. Houston struggled throughout the game, having to deal with Iowa State’s offensive shooting and defensive pressures while also having multiple fouls that the Cyclones took advantage of.
Game Recap
Houston opened up the first half strong, with senior guard Milos Uzan and freshman guard Kingston Flemings scoring five points within the first two minutes of the game, putting Houston up 5-2. However, Iowa State would rally back against Houston, scoring ten unanswered points, putting the Cyclones up 15-5.
Despite the opening start, Houston would begin to rally back and stick to their fundamentals, using their defensive rebounds and turnovers to keep Iowa State in check, slowly cutting down the point deficit. This would put them back in the lead by the ten-minute mark with a score of 23-21, with Houston senior guard Emanuel Sharp scoring the crucial three-pointer to put the Coogs back on top.
After the back-and-forth battle from the first half, we saw both teams enter the locker rooms with Iowa State having a three-point lead with a score of 43-40. Houston would recover and attempt a comeback starting in the second half, taking note of different player matchups against Iowa State’s shooters.
Once the second half started, it seemed that the deadlock returned, with the score being interchangeable between the two teams. Uzan would ultimately put the Coogs back on top after scoring a crucial three-pointer, making the score 48-47.
Houston would build on the lead that Uzan made, with the Coogs keeping the lead until the five-minute mark of the half. Iowa State rallied back late, scoring another ten unanswered points and tying the game back up 63-63.
At this point, it was anyone’s game to win, with Iowa State and Houston trading blows left and right throughout the last seconds of the half. But, with only 12 seconds left in the game and a shot at winning, Flemings slipped on the court, which led to a defensive rebound for Iowa State, giving Iowa State the win with a score of 70-67.
What happens next?
Houston falls to 23-3 overall and 11-2 in the Big XII, which could affect their seeding for the Big XII tournament later in March. The recent No. 2 ranking for Houston will most likely fall unless the Cougars can beat No. 4 Arizona and No. 8 Kansas, allowing them to get a higher seed in both the AP Polls and the tournament.
Despite their performance, Houston remains confident and controls their own destiny towards the postseason playoffs. “I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but I’m not disappointed in our effort,” said Kelvin Sampson in a postgame interview.
Houston looks ahead to play against No. 4 Arizona on Feb. 21 at home, which will be an important game for the Cougars.
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