Houston basketball has ridden its relentless defense to lasting prominence, taking control of the Big 12 Conference after arriving in 2023 and nearly winning its first-ever national championship last season. However, that physical style of play can leave the team at the officials' mercy. Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson believes his squad did not get a fair whistle in Tuesday night's 76-73 loss versus Tennessee.
Despite an admirable push late, Houston could not overcome its foul trouble. The Volunteers showed tremendous resolve in erasing a double-digit first-half deficit and defeating the school that knocked them out in the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but many college hoops fans will quickly point to free throws when evaluating this Players Era matchup. Tennessee was 23-of-29 from the charity stripe, while Houston took only nine attempts.
Sampson did not directly skewer the referees, but he did express his opinion about this statistical disparity.
“The difference in the game is the free throws,” the two-time AP Coach of the Year told reporters after the game, per Jason Bristol of KHou 11 News Houston. “I'm not saying we weren't fouling, but they were too. Both teams were playing aggressive, tough defense. Boom, boom, boom. Shouldn't be 29 to 11.”
The deciding factor in Houston's loss to Tennessee? Free throws, says Kelvin Sampson.
In a physical game, Tennessee went to the free throw line 29 times compared to only 11 for Houston. pic.twitter.com/gvC5BeDIJx
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) November 26, 2025
People will debate foul calls until they run out of breath or their fingers cramp up from typing so furiously, but there is still plenty the Cougars can learn from following this battle with the Vols. They were outscored 38-30 in the paint and conceded six more points off turnovers than their opponent. One might argue that focusing on those stats is nitpicking and unfairly overlooking the free-throw component of this contest, but fouls are ultimately difficult to control.
Houston basketball is about perfecting all the little details and operating within a small margin of error. Although Kelvin Sampson is obviously miffed, he will probably not let his players use the refs as an excuse at the team's next practice. The emphasis will surely remain on intensity and efficiency.
Fresh off a terrific 25-point outing against Tennessee, freshman guard Kingston Flemings will try to lead the Cougars (6-1) to victory over Notre Dame (5-2) in their final game of the 2025 Players Era Festival. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
