# SEC Men's Basketball: Houston Cougars Dominates Texas A&M Aggies 88-57

**Published:** 2026-03-22 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/houston-cougars-dominate-texas-am-aggies-sec-basketball-88-57

**Teams:** [Oklahoma](https://secscouts.com/oklahoma/), [Texas](https://secscouts.com/texas/), [Texas A&M](https://secscouts.com/texas-am/)


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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (03/20/2026) — The Houston Cougars asserted their dominance on Friday night, leveraging a massive first-half run to overpower the Texas A&M Aggies in an 88-57 decision at the Paycom Center.

Houston's stifling defense and rebounding prowess were on full display, holding the Aggies to just 35% shooting from the field and controlling the glass with a 46-29 advantage. The victory, witnessed by 14,887 fans, was a comprehensive performance that left little doubt about the outcome after the opening 20 minutes.

### How It Happened

The game began as a competitive, back-and-forth affair. After Houston's Milos Uzan opened the scoring, Texas A&M answered with triples from Rubén Dominguez and Pop Isaacs, with the latter's 28-foot jumper at the 16:47 mark giving the Aggies an early 8-4 lead. The teams traded baskets and the lead changed hands four times in the opening stages.

Emanuel Sharp kept the Cougars close with a pair of three-pointers, and a Jamie Vinson alley-oop dunk at 13:03 cut the Houston deficit to 15-13. Texas A&M guard Josh Holloway connected on consecutive three-pointers just under the 10-minute mark, and a Zach Clemence three-pointer with 7:43 left in the half gave the Aggies their final lead of the night at 24-25.

From that point, the game shifted dramatically. Houston unleashed a suffocating defensive effort that fueled a game-breaking 18-0 run. The Aggies' offense went cold, and the Cougars capitalized on every opportunity. The run culminated in a deep three-pointer from Uzan with under a minute remaining, pushing the Houston lead to 20 points. A late layup by Rylan Griffen finally stopped the bleeding for Texas A&M, but the damage was done, with the Cougars taking a commanding 46-28 lead into the locker room.

Houston never let up in the second half. A driving layup by Kingston Flemings opened the period, and a barrage of three-pointers from Uzan and Mercy Miller quickly extinguished any hope of an Aggie comeback. A powerful dunk by Joseph Tugler at the 9:42 mark extended the lead to 71-43, and the Cougars cruised the rest of the way.

### Turning Point
The game's decisive sequence was Houston's overwhelming 18-0 run over a nearly seven-minute stretch late in the first half. After Zach Clemence gave Texas A&M a 25-24 lead, the Aggies' offense stalled completely. The Cougars seized complete control, turning a one-point deficit into a 17-point lead at 43-25. This offensive explosion, combined with a defensive lockdown, effectively ended the competitive phase of the game and established a halftime margin that proved insurmountable.

### Stars of the Game
Emanuel Sharp led all scorers with 18 points for the Houston Cougars, adding four rebounds. Forward Chris Cenac Jr. was a force in the paint, finishing with an impressive 17 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Point guard Milos Uzan orchestrated the offense effectively, contributing 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

For the Texas A&M Aggies, guard Josh Holloway was the top performer, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Pop Isaacs added eight points in the effort.

### What It Means
For the Houston Cougars, the victory is a powerful statement. Their ability to dominate on both ends of the floor, particularly on the boards and on the defensive end, was the clear difference-maker. With balanced scoring and a relentless style of play, Houston demonstrated why it is a formidable opponent moving forward.

For the Texas A&M Aggies, the loss marks a difficult end to their season. The Aggies struggled to find any offensive rhythm against Houston's pressure, shooting just 25% from beyond the arc. The significant rebounding disparity highlighted a major challenge for Texas A&M throughout the contest, preventing them from generating second-chance points and slowing Houston's transition attack. The Aggies were unable to match the Cougars' physicality and depth, leading to the lopsided final score.

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*Original article: [SEC Men's Basketball: Houston Cougars Dominates Texas A&M Aggies 88-57](https://secscouts.com/news/houston-cougars-dominate-texas-am-aggies-sec-basketball-88-57) — SEC Scouts*