No. 8 Houston Extends Home Dominance With 79 to 55 Win Over UCF in Big 12 Play

Houston, Texas -- No. 8 Houston continued its dominant run at home Wednesday night, using balanced scoring and interior control to defeat Central Florida 79 to 55 in a breaking update that reinforced the Cougars’ position near the top of the Big 12 standings.

Houston improved to 20 and 2 overall and 8 and 1 in conference play, winning its 17th straight game at home and its 50th in the last 51 contests at the Fertitta Center. The Cougars also extended their winning streak over UCF to 11 games, a trend that has defined the series since Houston’s transition into the Big 12.

Kingston Flemings led Houston with 18 points and six assists, while Chris Cenac Jr. delivered a double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Milos Uzan added 12 points as the Cougars shot 55 percent from the field despite limited production from the perimeter. Houston made just 3 of 19 three point attempts but compensated by outscoring UCF 42 to 14 in the paint and controlling the glass 40 to 29.

The latest timeline took shape early as Flemings and Cenac combined for 22 first half points on 10 of 17 shooting, powering Houston to a 33 to 19 halftime lead. After holding a narrow early advantage, the Cougars separated with an 18 to 5 run over an eight minute stretch, capped by a Cenac jumper that pushed the margin to 27 to 13 with 3 minutes and 50 seconds remaining in the first half. UCF shot 2 of 13 during that span and never recovered.

Houston’s lead remained in double digits throughout the second half as defensive pressure and rebounding prevented any sustained momentum for the Knights. Under head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars recorded their 11th straight 20 win season, continuing one of the most consistent stretches in program history.

Central Florida fell to 17 and 5 overall and 6 and 4 in Big 12 play, snapping a three game winning streak. Riley Kugel led the Knights with nine points as UCF shot 31 percent from the field and 6 of 21 from three point range. The loss dropped UCF to 2 and 3 against ranked opponents this season and 4 and 5 in Quad 1 games, factors that will weigh into its NCAA Tournament resume as March approaches.

What this means moving forward is clear. Houston’s physical interior play and defensive efficiency continue to travel regardless of shooting variance, strengthening its outlook as a conference title contender and high NCAA seed. For UCF, the challenge remains converting defensive effort into efficient offense against elite opponents.

Next steps arrive quickly. UCF travels to Cincinnati on Sunday seeking to regain momentum in conference play.

Houston faces a significant road test Saturday at No. 16 BYU, a matchup that will further shape the Big 12 race and the Cougars’ national standing.