Kansas Jayhawks Suffer Embarrassing Loss to Houston Cougars in Big 12 Tournament

Jayhawks' offense sputters in second half as Houston pulls away for 69-47 victory

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:03am

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The Kansas Jayhawks turned in one of their worst performances of the season, falling to the Houston Cougars 69-47 in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The Jayhawks struggled mightily on offense, missing their first 16 field goal attempts of the second half as Houston pulled away. Kansas was completely outworked by the Cougars, who dominated the glass and won the hustle plays throughout the game.

Why it matters

This loss marks the third consecutive season that Kansas has missed the Big 12 title game, raising questions about the Jayhawks' ability to make a deep NCAA Tournament run. The poor offensive showing highlighted the team's lack of scoring options beyond star guard Darryn Peterson, an issue that could prove problematic in the high-stakes environment of March Madness.

The details

Kansas trailed 33-25 at halftime but completely fell apart in the second half, going more than nine minutes without a made field goal as Houston built a comfortable lead. Cougars guard Kingston Flemings took advantage of the Jayhawks' defensive lapses, while Kansas struggled to generate any consistent offense outside of Peterson's 14 points. No other Jayhawk scored more than eight points in the loss.

  • The game was played on March 13, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.
  • Kansas missed the Big 12 title game for the third straight season.

The players

Darryn Peterson

The star guard for Kansas, who led the team with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in the loss.

Kohl Rosario

A true freshman for Kansas who scored 8 points in the second half when the game was already out of reach.

Kingston Flemings

The Houston Cougars guard who took advantage of Kansas' defensive struggles, leading his team to the victory.

Bill Self

The head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, who must be "completely embarrassed" by his team's poor performance.

Kelvin Sampson

The head coach of the Houston Cougars, who has instilled a gritty, hardworking identity in his teams.

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What’s next

Kansas will now await its fate on Selection Sunday to see where they are seeded in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 64.

The takeaway

Kansas' poor offensive performance and lack of scoring options beyond Darryn Peterson raise serious concerns about the team's ability to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, where they will need to find more consistent offensive production to compete with the nation's elite teams.