Kingston Flemings scores 15, No. 8 Houston beats Middle Tennessee State 69-60

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HOUSTON (AP) — Kingston Flemings had 15 points and five assists, Joseph Tugler added 13 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Houston pulled away in the second half for a 69-60 win over Middle Tennessee State on Monday night.

Emanuel Sharp scored 10 points before leaving with 8:53 remaining in the second half after taking a hard fall on the floor on a drive. He had a heating pad on his lower back while sitting on the bench.

Houston (12-1) won its sixth straight game and 13th straight game at home. The Cougars shot 41% but struggled from long range, going 6 for 20 on 3-pointers. Houston forced 19 turnovers and held a 30-3 advantage in points off turnovers.

Kamari Lands scored 18 points, Alec Oglesby added 12 points, Torey Alston had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Chris Loofe finished with 10 points and six rebounds for Middle Tennessee (7-5).

The Blue Raiders shot 47% and were 11 of 28 on 3-pointers, which kept them in the game, but the turnovers were too much to overcome.

Leading 45-40 with 12 ½ minutes left in the second half, the Cougars went on a 12-3 run to open up a 14-point lead on a dunk by Flemings with seven minutes remaining. Sharp and Flemings each scored four points to pace the run.

Trailing 19-16 with eight minutes remaining in the first half, Houston responded with a 10-0 run to take a seven-point lead on a 3-pointer by Flemings with five minutes left in the half. The Cougars led 33-28 at the half.

Middle Tennessee State: Hosts Louisiana Tech on Friday.

Houston: Travels to Cincinnati on Saturday to begin Big 12 Conference play.

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