Coogs lose battle of the boards and the game, 90-86, to Texas Tech in Lubbock

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UPDAED: January 26, 2026 -- 11:48 a.m. CT

POSTED: January 24, 2026 -- 9:25 p.m. CT

LUBBOCK, TX -- United Supermarkets Arena

Houston freshman guard Kingston Flemings was sensational Saturday afternoon. However, Flemings' 42 points were not enough as the Houston Cougars lost 90-86 on the road to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Flemings' 42 points is the most points scored by a Cougar since guard Robert "Fluff" McKiver (2006-08) scored 52 points against Southern Miss inside Hofheinz Pavilion on February 27, 2008.

With the loss, the Coogs saw their Big 12 Conference -- and school-record -- 16-game road winning streak snapped. This was Houston's first road loss since a 78-65 loss at Kansas in Lawrence, KS., on February 3, 2024. Entering Saturday's game, that was the nation's longest active streak.

Houston (17-2 overall, 5-1 in the Big 12 Conference) scored 49 points AND shot 61.5% from the floor in the first half but trailed 55-49 at halftime. Texas Tech made an astounding 10 three-point shots in the first half. Tech shot 51.5 fg% (17 for 33) in the first half; but, when the Red Raiders missed shots, they crashed the boards and out-rebounded 18-11 in the first half.

The Red Raiders (16-4, 6-1) outscored the Coogs 14-5 in second chance points in the first 20 minutes.

Houston's starting big man duo of JoJo Tugler (7) and Chris Cenac Jr (9) combined for just 16 minutes in the first half as both of them picked up 2 fouls early in the half.

Houston led Tech 37-33 before Tech went on 14-0 run to lead 47-37 with 3:37 remaining in the opening half. JT Toppin, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, scored 5 of his 31 points during the run. Tech freshman guard Jaylen Petty knocked down 2 threes and Donovan Atwell capped the run with his own three-point basket.

Flemings scored 8 of his first half 22 points in the closing three minutes of the half to cut Houston's deficit to six points at halftime.

In the second half, Houston did a better job defending Texas Tech at the three-point line.

"It's not about making adjustments," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach, said after the game. "Just doing what the scouting report says to do. I thought we did a much better job of that in the second half."

After making 10 threes in the first half, Texas Tech only made 2 threes in the second half. However, those 2 threes came at a crucial point late in the second half.

"The two plays that broke it open was Atwell's threes in the corner," Sampson remarked. "Shouldn't got them off. We don't help off corners. There's two freshmen (Flemings and Chase McCarty) there that - you can't let him get those off."

Texas Tech finished the game with a 44-28 edge in rebounding. Houston was outscored 22-11 in second chance points.

"Texas Tech did an awesome, awesome job on the offensive boards," Sampson acknowledged. "They did to us what we've made a living doing to other people."

NEXT: Wednesday, January 28 -- at TCU. Tip is set for 8 pm CT on ESPN2.

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