#5/5 (2) Cougars Cruise to First Round Victory Over (15) Idaho

Thursday, March 19

Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, Okla.

9:10 p.m.

University of Houston

29-6,14-4Big 12

Idaho

21-15,9-9Big Sky

Idaho

Houston

Photo by: Mario Terrana

#5/5 (2) Cougars Cruise to First Round Victory Over (15) Idaho

3/19/2026 10:28:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Game Book (PDF)Postgame Press Conference (YouTube)Tournament Central Season Stats (PDF)

Freshman forward/center Chris Cenac grabs career-high 18 boards in 78-47 win over Vandals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Freshman guard Kingston Flemings scored 18 points, senior guard Emanuel Sharp added 16, and the #5/5 University of Houston Men's Basketball team routed Idaho 78-47 Thursday night in the First Round of NCAA Tournament inside Paycom Center.

Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds for Houston, and five Cougars scored in double figures.

It was the eighth straight season the Cougars won their NCAA Tournament First-Round game.

Cenac recorded his team-leading 13^th game with double-digit rebounds. He topped his previous high of 14 boards during a Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament Semifinal win over #14/16 (3) Kansas on March 13.

The Vandals (21-15) qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning four games in five days to win the Big Sky championship, despite being seeded seventh in the conference tournament

Houston fell behind 10-7, then outscored Idaho 41-14 over the next 15 minutes for a 48-24 lead at the break. Flemings, who made all six of his shots from the field, led the Cougars' attack with 14 points while Sharp (12 points) made 4-of-5 shots, including 3-pointers

The Vandals made eight of 30 shots (26%) and didn't score for nearly 10 minutes of the first half. Houston extended the lead to 67-38 on a short jumper by Flemings with 7:12 left in the game.

Kolton Mitchell scored 14 points for 15th-seeded Idaho, a heavy underdog making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990

BUY TICKETS
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.

UP NEXT
• With Thursday's win, the Cougars face (10) Texas A&M at 5:10 p.m., Saturday, inside Paycom Center. The Aggies took a 63-50 win over (7) Saint
• Fans can watch Saturday's game on TNT with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Chris Webber (analyst) and Andy Katz (reporter).
• Fans can hear Saturday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Elvin Hayes (analyst). The pregame show begins at 4:55 p.m., Saturday.
• Fans also can hear Saturday's game on Westwood One/NCAA Radio with Ted Emrich (play-by-play) and Casey Jacobsen (analyst).
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting marchmadness.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

– UHCougars.com –