By Jayson Henderson

Kansas State lost its second consecutive road game to Houston, 74-52, on Saturday morning at the Fertitta Center. Houston, boasting the nation’s top-ranked defense, held the Wildcats to just 52 points and forced 18 turnovers. The Cats struggled, falling behind 11-0 in the first 6 minutes and could never really recover.

Three Wildcats scored in double figures, including 16 points from junior Cam Carter, who posted double-figure points for the 14th consecutive game. Fellow junior Arthur Kaluma and freshman Dai Dai Ames each added 11 points. It was the most points by Ames in a Big 12 game.

Houston’s defense held the Wildcats to their second-fewest points under head coach Jerome Tang on 40.4 percent shooting while also forcing them into 18 turnovers, including 11 steals, which the Cougars converted into 25 points.

With the win, Houston moved to 12-0 at the Fertitta Center this season, where the Cougars are beating teams by an average of 32.8 points per game. Head coach Kelvin Sampson also earned a pair of milestones in the victory, earning both his 750th in his career and the 250th while in charge of the Cougars.

K-State returns home on Tuesday night when the Wildcats take on Oklahoma at Bramlage Coliseum.