The men of basketball provided the largest margin of victory on January 18, 2026, when the No. 7 Houston Cougars crushed the Arizona State Sun Devils 103 -73. The defensive intensity and offensive efficiency of Houston were established in the first few minutes, and Arizona State was unable to keep up with it.
Fast start sets the tone
The game opened with a furious 30-5 run, which Houston followed up almost immediately and took control. A 5629 lead in halftime had the Cougars leading, having hit 12-of-15 in the first half, their best first half of the season. Arizona State never came out of the initial deficit.
Relentless defensive attacks characterized the night of Houston. The Cougars caused 17 turnovers, which they turned into 31 points, and they also owned the paint with a 44-22 scoring advantage in the paint. They constantly messed with the rhythm of Arizona State through their physicality and ball pressure.
Efficient, Balanced Offense
Houston made defense out of offense and ended with a season-high 103 points, shooting 56 percent in the field and 48 percent on the outside. It was evenly distributed across the scoring load as six players got to double figures. Kingston Fleming was the leading scorer of the game with 20 points and eight assists, and Chris Cenac Jr. scored 18 points, a career-high.
Arizona State was 41 percent on the floor and made ill-timed turnovers throughout the game. The defeat was the sixth in the past seven games for the Sun Devils, highlighting recent troubles against the best in the conference.
The wire-to-wire victory of Houston established it as a contender in the Big 12, and Arizona State is still seeking answers as the rivals in the league hit full steam.