- Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers vs Houston Cougars
- Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
- Venue: Fertitta Center, Houston, TX
- Broadcast: FS1
This page may include affiliate links at no extra cost to you, thanks for your support.
The West Virginia Mountaineers (11-5) will visit the Fertitta Center on Tuesday to challenge the Houston Cougars (15-1).
In their previous outing, the West Virginia Mountaineers secured a victory against Kansas with a score of 86-75. They finished the game with a field goal percentage of 48.2% (27 out of 56) and made 11 of 26 from beyond the arc. From the free-throw line, the Mountaineers connected on 21 of 29 attempts, hitting 72.4%. On the rebounding front, they gathered a total of 34 boards, including 8 offensive rebounds. They also recorded 12 assists, forced the opposing team into 6 turnovers, and achieved 2 steals. Defensively, West Virginia allowed Kansas to shoot 42.6% from the field on 26 of 61 attempts, while Kansas notched 11 assists and 7 steals. Furthermore, Kansas collected 31 rebounds (9 offensive and 22 defensive) but did not register any blocks. Kansas shot 83.3% from the charity stripe, converting 15 of 18 attempts, and made 8 of 27 from three-point range. In terms of personal fouls, the Mountaineers recorded 16 while Kansas accumulated 22.
Honor Huff played a significant role in the game, tallying 23 points on 5 of 12 shooting. He logged 39 minutes on the floor and grabbed 7 rebounds while shooting at a rate of 41.7%, yet he did not record any assists.
West Virginia enters this matchup with an 11-5 record this season. They average 10.8 turnovers per game while committing 14.7 fouls. The team records 36.3 rebounds per game and has distributed a total of 219 assists so far this season, ranking 263rd nationally in assist rate. The Mountaineers shoot 36.6% from three-point territory (140 of 382) and maintain a 69.1% free-throw shooting percentage. They score an average of 74.8 points per game (238th in Division 1) while achieving 45.5% from the field.
On the defensive end, the Mountaineers force 12.4 turnovers per game and average 17.4 fouls. They allow opponents to shoot 34.8% from three-point range and are ranked 6th nationally in points allowed per game (62.3). West Virginia holds foes to a field goal percentage of 40.2% (352 of 875) and allows 32.2 rebounds per game. They are ranked 88th nationally for assists allowed, surrendering 201 assists this season.
In their last match, the Houston Cougars triumphed over Baylor with a score of 77-55. In rebounding statistics, Houston allowed Baylor to collect 30 rebounds (7 offensive). The Cougars shot 36.8% from beyond the arc, making 7 of 19 attempts and converting 18 of 31 from the free-throw line (58.1%). Baylor managed to shoot 15 out of 41 from the field, achieving a 36.6% shooting rate. When the final buzzer sounded, Houston shot 29 out of 74, with a shooting percentage of 39.2%. They hit 11 out of 39 three-point attempts (28.2%) while making 8 free throws at a 61.5% success rate. Baylor was charged with 13 fouls, sending the Cougars to the free-throw line for a total of 13 attempts. Houston committed 4 turnovers, while they snatched 7 steals, amassing 21 defensive and 21 offensive rebounds for a grand total of 42 rebounds in the game.
Emanuel Sharp was a standout performer for the Cougars, scoring 17 points in 30 minutes of action while dishing out 2 assists. He hit 6 out of 14 shots for a field goal percentage of 42.9% and pulled down 5 rebounds.
Houston boasts a strong record of 15-1 this season. The Cougars average 17.9 fouls per game and maintain a free-throw shooting average of 75.6%. They dish out assists at a rate of 15.7 per game (103rd nationally) and turn the ball over an average of 8.7 times per contest. Houston has scored a total of 1,236 points this season (77.3 per game) and collects 38.3 rebounds per game, shooting at 44.3% from the field, which ranks 248th in Division 1.
Defensively, the Cougars rank 2nd in the nation for points allowed per game (60.0). They force their opponents into an average of 15.5 turnovers and limit shooting percentage to 39.1% (23rd in Division 1). Houston’s defense also allows just 29.7% shooting from three-point range (104 of 350) while opponents convert 66.7% from the free-throw line. They permit 10.1 assists and average 33.6 rebounds allowed per game, ranking 11th and 130th in those deficit categories, respectively.
Who will prevail in tonight’s NCAA matchup against the spread?
Selection: Take Houston
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up or make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission always at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping us keep this site running.
