No. 8 Houston Defeats No. 16 BYU 77-66

Cougars pull away late to hand BYU fourth straight loss

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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No. 8 Houston defeated No. 16 BYU 77-66 on Saturday night. Kingston Flemings scored 11 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Cougars, who shot 50% from the field after halftime. AJ Dybantsa scored 28 points for BYU, who dropped their fourth straight game.

Why it matters

This Big 12 matchup between two ranked teams had major conference title implications, with Houston staying within a game of No. 1 Arizona in the standings. BYU's fourth straight loss drops them further back in the race.

The details

Houston used a 14-5 run sparked by Flemings to pull away late, scoring three second-chance baskets during the run. BYU got Houston into the bonus early in the second half but struggled at the free throw line, shooting just 16-of-28. The visiting Cougars built a double-digit lead before halftime with efficient offense and stifling interior defense.

  • The game was played on Saturday night, February 8, 2026.

The players

Kingston Flemings

A key player for No. 8 Houston, scoring 11 of his 19 points in the second half to lead the Cougars to victory.

AJ Dybantsa

Scored a game-high 28 points for No. 16 BYU in the losing effort.

Chris Cenac, Jr.

Scored 16 points for No. 8 Houston.

Emanuel Sharp

Scored 14 points for No. 8 Houston.

Rob Wright III

Added 17 points for BYU.

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What they’re saying

“We must continue to play with energy and focus if we want to stay in the Big 12 title race.”

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

“This was a tough loss, but we'll regroup and get ready for Baylor on Tuesday.”

— Mark Pope, Head Coach, BYU Cougars (Deseret News)

What’s next

Houston will travel to Utah on Tuesday, while BYU will visit Baylor on the same night.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the continued strength of the Houston Cougars, who remain in the hunt for the Big 12 title, while BYU's fourth straight loss drops them further back in the conference standings and raises questions about their ability to bounce back down the stretch.