In an instant classic that had fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer, the No. 7 Houston Cougars outlasted the No. 12 Kansas Jayhawks 92-86 in a double-overtime thriller at Allen Fieldhouse. The hard-fought Big 12 battle saw Houston’s J’Wan Roberts pour in a game-high 24 points, including six crucial points in the extra periods, to lead the Cougars to victory.
Overtime Heroics Seal the Deal for Houston
Trailing by two with just seconds remaining in regulation, Houston’s hopes seemed to be fading away. But Roberts calmly sank two clutch free throws to knot the score at 74-74 and send the game to overtime. In the first extra session, the Cougars found themselves down again before back-to-back triples from Emanuel Sharp and Mylik Wilson forced a second overtime.
In the second OT, it was all Houston. The Cougars’ suffocating defense held Kansas to just four points, while Roberts and Wilson combined for 10 points to seal the statement road win. Wilson finished with 18 points, and Milos Uzan stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, falling just shy of a triple-double.
Injury Bug Bites Both Squads
Houston’s thrilling victory was made all the more impressive considering they were far from full strength. Sharp, who sat out the Cougars’ previous game against Utah with an injury, gutted out 25 minutes but managed just eight points. Freshman big man Ja’Vier Francis also went down with an ankle injury in the first half, logging under four minutes and scoring only four points before exiting.
The Jayhawks were also shorthanded, with starting forward K.J. Adams sidelined by a shoulder injury. Freshman center Flory Bidunga picked up the slack, setting a new career high with 19 points. Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson added 17 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Houston’s determined effort.
Cougars’ Second-Half Surge Shifts Momentum
Houston appeared to be in trouble early in the second half, trailing 40-31. But a momentum-shifting 13-0 run, fueled by stifling defense, completely turned the tide. The Cougars held Kansas without a point for over six minutes during the surge, and the Jayhawks missed eight consecutive shots, including a bungled breakaway dunk by Shakeel Moore.
We just kept fighting. That’s been our identity all year. When things get tough, we don’t back down. We knew we had to turn up the defense and get some stops. That run changed the whole game.
– J’Wan Roberts after the game
Free Throw Follies Nearly Cost Cougars
While Houston ultimately prevailed, their struggles at the charity stripe almost proved fatal. The Cougars began the second half by missing their first eight free throws and shot a dismal 4-of-13 from the line in the half. For the game, they made just 14-of-25 freebies (56%).
Kansas had its own issues at the line, converting only 17-of-30 attempts (56.7%). In a game decided by just six points in double overtime, leaving a combined 24 points at the free throw line loomed large.
Postseason Implications Abound
With the crucial win, Houston improved to 16-3 overall and a perfect 8-0 in Big 12 play. The Cougars now sit alone atop the league standings and further solidified their case for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. A No. 1 seed is squarely in play for Kelvin Sampson’s squad.
The loss dropped Kansas to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12. While undoubtedly a setback, the Jayhawks’ resume still compares favorably to other contenders for a top-four seed thanks to marquee wins over Tennessee, Duke, and Indiana. With matchups against fellow Big 12 heavyweights Baylor, Kansas State, and Texas on the horizon, Bill Self’s team will have no shortage of opportunities to bolster its postseason portfolio.
As the calendar flips to February and March Madness draws nearer, Houston’s triumph over Kansas could prove to be a defining moment in a season full of promise for the Cougars. With a deep, talented roster battle-tested by nights like these, Houston appears poised to make some serious noise when the games matter most.
