Houston Cougars defeat Kansas Jayhawks in Big 12 showdown

No. 5 Houston wins pivotal conference matchup against No. 14 Kansas

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The No. 5 Houston Cougars traveled to Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night and defeated the No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks in a pivotal Big 12 conference matchup. The final score was 78-72 as Houston used a strong second-half performance to pull away from Kansas.

Why it matters

This was an important early-season conference game between two highly ranked teams that could have major implications for the Big 12 title race and NCAA Tournament seeding down the line. Both Houston and Kansas are expected to be in contention for their conference championship and make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

Houston was led by junior guard Marcus Sasser, who scored a game-high 22 points. The Cougars also got key contributions from senior forward Fabian White Jr. and sophomore center Reggie Chaney. Kansas was paced by junior guard Ochai Agbaji, who had 18 points, but the Jayhawks struggled to contain Houston's balanced scoring attack.

  • The game was played on Monday, February 24, 2026.
  • Tipoff was at 9 p.m. EST.

The players

Marcus Sasser

A junior guard for the Houston Cougars who scored a game-high 22 points.

Fabian White Jr.

A senior forward for the Houston Cougars who made key contributions.

Reggie Chaney

A sophomore center for the Houston Cougars who played a pivotal role.

Ochai Agbaji

A junior guard for the Kansas Jayhawks who led the team with 18 points.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We knew this was going to be a tough environment to play in, but our guys stepped up and executed our game plan really well.”

— Kelvin Sampson, Head Coach, Houston Cougars (Houston Chronicle)

“Credit to Houston, they came in here and outplayed us. We'll need to go back, watch the film, and figure out how to bounce back from this loss.”

— Bill Self, Head Coach, Kansas Jayhawks (Lawrence Journal-World)

What’s next

Both teams will continue their conference schedules, with Houston hosting Oklahoma State on Saturday and Kansas traveling to face Baylor next Monday.

The takeaway

This was an impressive road win for the Houston Cougars, who showed their ability to win a tough Big 12 matchup against a ranked opponent. The loss is a setback for Kansas, but the Jayhawks will look to rebound as they continue their quest for a conference title.