Houston Stuns KU in Big 12 Semifinals, 69-47

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The No. 14 Kansas Jayhawks came to the Big 12 Tournament semifinals Friday night seeking redemption after a regular-season loss to Houston on their home court in Lawrence. Instead, they found themselves on the wrong end of a blowout, falling 69-47 to the second-seeded Cougars at the T-Mobile Center.

Kansas (23-10, 12-6 Big 12) never recovered from Houston's early onslaught. The Cougars (28-5, 14-4 Big 12) jumped to a 33-25 halftime lead and never looked back, outscoring the Jayhawks 36-22 in the second half. Darryn Peterson led Kansas with 14 points, but the team's offensive struggles told the story: held to under 25% shooting from the field, the Jayhawks managed just 47 points in what became a complete reversal from their February 23 matchup at Allen Fieldhouse.

Houston's freshman class delivered the decisive blow. Kingston Flemings scored a game-high 21 points while Chris Cenac Jr. recorded a double-double with 17 points and 14 assists, orchestrating the Cougars' efficient offense while their defense suffocated Kansas. The stifling performance sent Houston to Saturday's Big 12 championship game against top-seeded Arizona (31-2), a rematch of last year's tournament title game.

For Kansas, the loss marks an early exit from a tournament that offered one last chance to boost the program's NCAA Tournament credentials heading into Selection Sunday.