Houston Cougars Fall Short in a Dog Fight Against the Arizona Wildcats
Written by Le'Raun Peron on February 23, 2026
History was made Saturday afternoon as the No. 2 Houston Cougars hosted the No. 4 Arizona Wildcats in the first top-five matchup ever held at the Fertitta Center. The difference was felt immediately, with a sold-out arena, national television coverage, and a crowd ready for elite basketball.
Arizona (24-2) showed why it has spent much of the season ranked No. 1. After winning the opening tip, the Wildcats jumped out to a 9-2 lead and controlled the first half, stretching their advantage to 32-22 with just over five minutes remaining. Houston struggled to find consistent offense early, committing seven first-half turnovers while managing only five assists.
“At some point you’ve got to get transition points,” head coach Kelvin Sampson said. “If you’re not going to turn them over, you have to turn their misses into transition points.”
Bench production also proved decisive. While Houston received timely threes from Chase McCarthy and Isaiah Harwell, Arizona’s Anthony Dell’Orso poured in 14 first-half points off the bench, nearly doubling his season average.
Still, the Cougars stayed within striking distance. They capitalized on second-chance points and shot 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Freshman Chris Cenac added six points and four rebounds, including a putback to close the half and cut the deficit to 36-31.
Houston opened the second half with renewed energy. Emanuel Sharp connected from deep, Milos Uzan found Cenac for a hook shot, and the Cougars repeatedly trimmed the lead to a single possession. Uzan later curled off an inbound screen and buried a three pointer to give Houston its first lead at 44-42 with just under 15 minutes remaining, igniting the Fertitta Center.
Freshmen Kingston Flemings and Cenac answered Arizona bucket for bucket as the intensity rose. But the Wildcats remained composed, reclaiming control and building a 58-50 lead with under six minutes to play.
In the closing stretch, Houston tightened defensively. Kalifa Sakho contributed free throws and back to back blocks, Flemings hit a pull up three, and Joseph Tugler added a putback dunk. Yet Arizona consistently delivered in key moments, answering every run and securing a 73-66 victory.
The loss marks Houston’s first back-to-back defeats in four years, following a tough stretch against Iowa State and Arizona. The Cougars now turn their attention to another major test Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse against No. 8 Kansas.
