J’Wan Roberts scored 24 points, including six in two overtime periods, and No. 7 Houston beat No. 12 Kansas 92-86.

Hard work paid off for Houston sixth-years Mylik Wilson and J'Wan Roberts, and their coach, in a big victory at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Kansas Jayhawks are no strangers to adversity, and their double-overtime loss to Houston on Saturday provided another reminder of the challenges that come with competing at the highest level of college basketball in the Big 12.

Kansas, in the first overtime period, took a 79-73 lead with 23 seconds left after Griffen made two free throws. But Houston’s Emanuel Sharp hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left, and Houston intercepted a Zeke Mayo inbounds pass and hit a game-tying 3.

The Jayhawks currently sit at No. 7 in the KenPom rankings, with a solid adjusted net rating of +27.52. While their overall performance still ranks highly, the loss to the Cougars has lowered their position from the No. 6 spot they occupied prior to the game.

Kansas basketball’s path to a Big 12 regular season title became more difficult Saturday with a loss at home against another contender, Houston.

Take No. 12 Kansas Jayhawks against the spread to take care of homecourt over the visiting No. 7 Houston Cougars in Big 12 action.

The No. 12-ranked Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team is set to play host to Houston on Saturday. KU beat TCU on Wednesday, while UH beat Utah. When/where: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence

Sure, the win at Kansas is really the only marquee victory Houston has so far this season, but a 13-game winning streak with 11 double-digit wins over that stretch earns Kelvin Sampson's team a place in the top tier of the sport.

The 2024 regular season was a success for a Houston Texans roster still looking to reach their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Houston turns toward the offseason

Houston took an unlikely path to victory in Allen Fieldhouse last weekend when the Cougars rallied from six points down in the final seconds of overtime, then beat Kansas in the second extra period. But the outcome itself was not unusual. Road teams are thriving in the Big 12 compared to prior years.