On Saturday, January 24, 2026, several ranked college basketball teams delivered surprising results in key conference matchups. No. 12 Texas Tech defeated No. 6 Houston at home, handing the Cougars their second loss of the season. Meanwhile, No. 22 North Carolina secured its first ACC road win with an 85-80 victory over No. 14 Virginia.
The college basketball slate on Saturday featured intense top-25 showdowns, with underdogs rising to the occasion. In Lubbock, Texas Tech hosted Houston in a Big 12 clash. Entering the game, Houston boasted a 17-1 record and a perfect 5-0 mark in conference play, with their only loss coming to Tennessee. Texas Tech, at 15-4 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12, had won four straight but fell to Houston earlier in the season on the road. The Red Raiders, undefeated at home this year, pulled off the win, dropping Houston to 17-2.
In the ACC, No. 22 North Carolina traveled to face No. 14 Virginia. The Tar Heels had struggled on the road in conference, but they overcame that hurdle with an 85-80 victory, marking their first ACC road win of the season.
Another Big Ten battle saw No. 11 Illinois visit No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette. Purdue, a national powerhouse with just two losses entering, was looking to rebound from an upset defeat to UCLA—their first in conference play. Illinois, riding an eight-game winning streak since a loss to Nebraska over a month prior, extended their run with an 88-82 triumph over the Boilermakers.
Other notable results included No. 13 BYU's 91-78 win over Utah in the Big 12, No. 2 UConn's 75-67 overtime victory against Villanova in the Big East, and No. 7 Nebraska's dominant 76-57 road win over Minnesota in the Big Ten. No. 19 Kansas faced rival Kansas State late in the evening, rounding out a full day of action across major conferences.
