No. 12 Houston (12-3, 4-0 Big 12) overwhelmed Kansas State (7-8, 1-3 Big 12) with a dominant first half, securing an 87-57 victory at Bramlage Coliseum in front of 8,332 fans.

Houston shot 57.6% from the field in the first half, using a 16-2 run to turn a 9-5 deficit into a 24-point halftime lead. Junior guard Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars with 15 points, while sophomore forward Joseph Tugler contributed a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

K-State fought back with a 12-4 second-half run to cut the lead to 14 but couldn’t sustain momentum. Junior Brendan Hausen led the Wildcats with 15 points, hitting five 3-pointers, while senior Max Jones added 13.

Houston dominated inside, outscoring K-State 52-20 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 44-20. The Wildcats return to action Tuesday against Texas Tech.