Tre White Leads No. 14 Kansas Past No. 5 Houston

Summary:

• Tre White scored a season-high 23 points as the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Houston Cougars 69-56.
• The win was a much-needed rebound for Kansas following a tough home loss to Cincinnati days earlier.
• Houston, whose offense has struggled, is now on a three-game losing streak.

The Kansas Jayhawks managed to dust themselves off, put their recent disappointment behind them, and put on a strong performance Monday night. Bill Self’s basketball side beat No. 5 Houston Cougars 69-56 behind Tre White’s standout effort.

The 23-year-old from Dallas led the way with a season-high 23 points, giving the 14th-ranked Jayhawks the boost they needed after a surprising loss at home to Cincinnati just two days earlier.

That defeat had dropped Kansas six spots in the AP Top 25, but they looked much more like themselves against one of the nation’s top teams.

Freshman Darryn Peterson finished with 14 points, although he needed 14 shots to get there. Bryson Tiller added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with three blocks, while Melvin Council Jr. chipped in 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Houston never found its rhythm. Kingston Flemings scored 16 points, but it came on 6-of-18 shooting. As a team, the Cougars struggled badly from the field, shooting just 32% overall and hitting only five of their 24 attempts from three-point range.

The loss marked Houston’s third in a row, all against top-15 opponents. It is the first time since January 2017 that the Cougars have dropped three straight games.

Kansas took control in the second half. Holding a narrow lead, the Jayhawks went on a 12-0 run that turned the game in their favor and gave them breathing room. The lead grew to as many as 20 points before Houston made a small push, but the outcome was never seriously in doubt.

The game did not start smoothly for Kansas, as they missed nine of their first 10 shots and went more than eight minutes without a field goal. However, they pulled themselves together and recovered late in the half, finishing on an 11-0 run to carry a 31-27 lead into the break.

The win continues Kansas’ long-standing dominance at home, where they rarely lose and often rise to the occasion against top competition.