For about eight minutes, it looked like Kansas State could possibly pull off the upset against Houston and shock the nation after their recent disastrous streak.
Unfortunately, they just couldn't keep it going. You can only hold a team like the Cougars down for so long, and Kansas State just couldn't take advantage when it had the chance. The Wildcats made a valiant effort in the second half, but it would have taken a near-perfect 20-minute stretch to end up victorious.
Here are the takeaways from their 11th Big 12 loss:
KANSAS STATE: First-half slump
The Wildcats continued their scoring woes with a program record-low 19 points in the first half. They went 5-of-24 from the field (4-of-14 from 3-point shooting) and had 12 turnovers. A 14-point deficit felt like 30 with the Wildcats completely faltering in the last minutes of the first half.
Houston didn't score well for much of the first half, but the Wildcats' turnovers and poor shooting overcame the early lead they built.
HOUSTON: Houston's defensive pressure
Kansas State faced the conference's most suffocating defense, and Houston showed why it's earned that label throughout the season. Outside of PJ Haggerty, the Wildcats had just 41 points on 35.1 percent shooting. Even with Haggerty, it took 20 shots to get to 23 points. The Cougars made every shot difficult and contested every player's matchup.
KANSAS STATE: Fouling trouble
Houston and Kansas State actually had equally as many personal fouls, but the Wildcats were more detrimental to the lineup structure. Dorin Buca fouled out, while Khamari McGriff, PJ Haggerty, and Nate Johnson had four each, limiting their playing time at various moments in the game.
HOUSTON: Emanuel Sharp
Houston's leading scorer, freshman guard Kingston Flemings, was having one of his worst performances of the season. He finished with 12 points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field and four turnovers. Then came his partner in crime, senior guard Emanuel Sharp, who had 23 points on 37.5 percent shooting from 3-point range.