University of Houston routs Idaho to open NCAA Tournament

The Cougars, the second seed in the South Region, will play No. 10 seed Texas A&M in the second round on Saturday.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:20am

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The University of Houston Cougars routed the Idaho Vandals 78-47 in their NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday night. The Cougars, the second seed in the South Region, will play No. 10 seed Texas A&M in the second round on Saturday. Houston lost to Florida in last year's championship game.

Why it matters

The Cougars are looking to redeem themselves after losing in last year's NCAA championship game. This win over Idaho sets them up for a matchup with fellow Texas school Texas A&M in the second round.

The details

Kingston Flemings scored 18 points and Emanuel Sharp added 16 for Houston. Chris Cenac Jr. had a career-high 18 rebounds for the Cougars. Kolton Mitchell scored 14 points for 15th-seeded Idaho, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990. Houston fell behind 10-7 early but then went on a 41-14 run over the next 15 minutes to take a 48-24 lead at halftime.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 20, 2026.
  • Houston lost to Florida in last year's NCAA championship game.

The players

Kingston Flemings

A player for the University of Houston Cougars who scored 18 points in the win over Idaho.

Emanuel Sharp

A player for the University of Houston Cougars who scored 16 points in the win over Idaho.

Chris Cenac Jr.

A player for the University of Houston Cougars who had a career-high 18 rebounds in the win over Idaho.

Kolton Mitchell

A player for the Idaho Vandals who scored 14 points in the loss to Houston.

University of Houston Cougars

The second-seeded team in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

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What’s next

The University of Houston Cougars will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

The takeaway

The University of Houston Cougars are looking to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament after losing in last year's championship game. Their dominant win over Idaho sets them up for a matchup with fellow Texas school Texas A&M in the second round.