Thomas, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, connected on 7-of-15 shots from the field and 8-of-10 attempts from the free throw line and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, including six off the offensive glass. House, competing in his first collegiate season out of Hightower High, nailed all seven of his free throw attempts - including four in the final 24.1 seconds - and added seven boards of his own.With the win, the Cougars improved to 10-2 overall and became only the 15th team in school history to start 10-2 or better through their first 12 games. Houston also avenged an 81-80 loss to the Panthers on Nov. 28 in Prairie View, Texas, a setback that snapped the Cougars' five-game winning streak to open the season.
Prairie View A&M dropped to 5-8 overall.
The game was close early before the Cougars used an 18-2 run during a near 6-minute stretch to build a 25-12 advantage. The team eventually took a 46-32 lead into the locker room at the break.
The Cougars built as much as a 17-point lead early in the second half and led 74-58 when Thomas put a basket back up and in after his own missed shot with just under seven minutes remaining. However, Prairie View A&M took off on a 14-2- run during the next five-and-a-half minutes to move to within 76-72 on Rasi Jenkins' jumper with 1:29 to go.
The Panthers had a chance to move even closer after a Cougar turnover, but House forced a Prairie View A&M giveaway on a fast break. On the ensuing possession, Thomas snared the offensive rebound on a missed Houston 3-pointer with 29 seconds left in the game, forcing the Panthers to foul.
House converted all four of his free throw attempts in the final 21 seconds to seal the victory for the Cougars.
Competing on the same day as his grandfather's funeral, sophomore guard Joseph Young added 17 points with three 3-pointers., while senior forward Leon Gibson came off the bench to pour in 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting with a pair of treys and seven rebounds.
Prairie View A&M guard Jourdan DeMuynck led all players with 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting, while guard Carl Blair finished with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists. Demondre Chapman came off the bench to record 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting with a team-high eight rebounds.
NOTES
• Houston improved to 7-1 inside the friendly confines of Hofheinz Pavilion this season.
• Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas posted his sixth 20-point game of the season and his second straight... Was the sixth 20-point game of his career.
• Freshman forward Danuel House posted the third 20-point game of his season/career.
• Sophomore guard Joseph Young saw his streak of consecutive 20-point games snapped at three.
• Thomas made the 43rd consecutive start of his collegiate career... He has started every game of his career.
Game Book | Quotes | Photos |
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game, the Cougars continue their season-long homestand inside Hofheinz Pavilion when they play host to Texas-Pan American at 7 p.m., Jan. 3.
From there, the stand wraps up when the Cougars open Conference USA play vs. SMU at 7 p.m., Jan. 9.
COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
No comments:
Post a Comment