HOUSTON — No. 7 Houston outlasted No. 14 Texas Tech 69-65 at the Fertitta Center Tuesday night in the latest gritty chapter of Houston vs Texas Tech. Freshman guard Kingston Flemings buried the Cougars’ biggest shots late, scoring nine points in the final two minutes, Jan. 6, 2026.
Houston vs Texas Tech: Flemings’ late burst seals it
Flemings finished with 23 points and five assists as Houston leaned on its defense and rebounding to survive a night of missed jumpers. In the AP game story, Houston is credited with a 7-1 run that flipped a 59-55 deficit into a 62-60 lead on a Flemings jumper with 1:41 left — a swing that decided a game that felt like it was going to be won by the last team standing.
Houston vs Texas Tech tightened into a one-possession tug-of-war from there. After Texas Tech briefly pulled within one in the final minute, Flemings drilled another 3-pointer to stretch the margin, then iced the finish at the foul line. Texas Tech helped open the door by going 3-of-10 from the field in the final 8:25 and coughing it up six times over that span, according to the AP recap.
The Houston Chronicle report added the texture: Flemings started cold (five straight misses) and heard about it. “Coach was on me today,” he said, before turning the late-game possessions into his personal runway. Kelvin Sampson’s verdict was simple: “Fearless.”
Houston got plenty of help. Emanuel Sharp scored 17, while Chris Cenac Jr. (11 points, 11 rebounds) and Joseph Tugler (11 points, 10 rebounds) posted double-doubles. Houston’s official recap noted the Cougars were the only team with home and road winning streaks of at least 13 games entering the night, and they kept both alive by surviving a 4-of-17 performance from 3-point range.
Texas Tech had the muscle to match. Jaylen Petty hit five 3-pointers and scored 20, JT Toppin delivered 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, and Donovan Atwell added 13. But the Red Raiders couldn’t overcome 14 turnovers — and a 17-of-22 night from the line for Houston — as detailed in Texas Tech’s game recap.
The series has been a grinder lately, too. Texas Tech stunned Houston 82-81 in overtime at the Fertitta Center last season, snapping the Cougars’ conference unbeaten run, as covered in the Houston Chronicle’s Feb. 1, 2025 recap. Houston answered weeks later with a 69-61 win in Lubbock to clinch at least a share of the Big 12 regular-season title, per AP’s Feb. 24, 2025 story on ESPN.
Next up, Houston plays at Baylor on Saturday, while Texas Tech continues its road swing at Colorado.
