The Red Raiders controlled the game, but a late offensive collapse and Kingston Flemings' heroics sealed their tough 69-65 loss to No. 7 Houston.
Texas Tech had No. 7 Houston right where it wanted them Tuesday night, then watched the final eight minutes turn into the basketball version of dropping your phone face-down on concrete and whispering, “No no no no no…”
The Red Raiders fell 69-65 at Houston after Kingston Flemings erupted for 23 points, including nine in the final two minutes, to drag the Cougars back from a second-half deficit and slam the door late.
Tech had plenty of big-time performances. Jaylen Petty was on a heater with 20 points and five 3s, JT Toppin was everywhere with 18 points, 11 boards, and five blocks, and Donovan Atwell chipped in 13, but the closing stretch is what decided it.
Texas Tech went 3-of-10 from the field in the final 8:25 and coughed it up six times in that span.
And Houston absolutely earned it.
Even while shooting just 39 percent and going 4-of-17 from deep, the Cougars stayed close enough to make one clean run matter, and then Flemings provided the juice all by himself.
Down 59-55, Houston ripped off a 7-1 burst to take a 62-60 lead on a Flemings jumper with 1:41 left. He also hit the 3-pointer that tied it at 60, then later drilled another dagger triple with 31 seconds remaining to push the margin to four.
The gut punch for Tech is that it wasn't one mistake. It was a sequence of little things that add up in hostile gyms against top-10 teams ... a rushed possession here, a turnover there, a missed look you normally like, a defensive rebound you don't quite secure.
Houston’s Milos Uzan missed a free throw with 1:17 left, but the Cougars stuck with the play, got another crack at it, and Chris Cenac Jr. was fouled fighting for the rebound. He made one of two.
Cenac finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, Joseph Tugler posted 11 and 10, and Emanuel Sharp added 17 as Houston won its eighth straight and extended its home win streak.
If you're Texas Tech, there's frustrating news and encouraging news.
The frustrating news is you had a ranked road win sitting in your lap and let it walk out the door during a sloppy finish. The encouraging news is your blueprint is real. You defended well enough to be in control for long stretches, you got elite production from your top guys, and you proved you can trade punches with the best in the Big 12 even when the margins get tight.
Texas Tech heads to Colorado on Saturday with a chance to turn this into a lesson learned game. The formula is there. Now it's about owning the last eight minutes ...because against teams like Houston, the ending is the whole story.