Coogs hold on and edge 12th-ranked SMU, 71-68

Posted: February 1, 2016 -- 11:55 pm CDT.

HOUSTON, TX (Hofheinz Pavilion) -- The Houston Cougars earned a high quality win Monday night with a 71-68 victory over the 12th-ranked SMU Mustangs.

This team can get better. When we play the right way, share the ball, attack the glass, and defend with a purpose we can be a good team. There are a lot of things that I see, even though we are in the month of February, that we can continue to get better at. Their team is a finished product; ours is not; we are still building this thing; we are nowhere near complete. Our team can still get better. We have had a lot of adversity.

Not having Rob (Gray Jr.) either game, he scored as easy 31 points as you can score on Saturday; he is our best offensive player. The fact that you win without a guy like that speaks volumes to your identity and what you value.

Off the bench, Devonta Pollard scored a game-high 23 points for the Coogs. Teammate Damyean Dotson added 13 points. Pollard and Dotson were the only two Cougars' players to score in double-digits; however, a total of nine different Coogs scored in the ball game.

After a slow start by the both teams, SMU finished the first half making 8 of the final 11 field goal attempts; and, the Cougars (16-6 overall, 6-4 in the American Athletic Conference) trailed the Mustangs 39-34 at halftime.

The Mustangs (12-2 overall, 8-2 in The American) scored the first 5 points of the second half to lead by 10 points; and, in fact, the Cougars trailed by as much as 11 points (twice) in the second half.

Dotson scored 5 straight points to pull the Coogs within six points; but, the Mustangs' Ben Moore sank two free throws for a 51-43 lead with 14:19 remaining in the game.

With 13:37 left in the second half, the Cougars trailed 53-45.

Dotson knocked down a jumper. Then, after Dotson's three-point shot attempt bounced off the rim, LeRon Barnes swooped in for a one-handed, follow-up slam dunk to spark the crowd and inch the Coogs within four points (53-49).

GREAT 1-handed, follow-up slam dunk by LeRon Barnes. @UHCougarMBK within 4 (53-49).

— Kris M Gardner (@TheHRReview) February 2, 2016

Pollard hit a jump shot and added two free throws to tie the game at 53.

Next, Barnes swished a corner three-point shot for the Coogs' first lead since the first half. Finally, with the shot-clock winding down, Pollard splashed in a 3-point shot from the top of the key which capped a 14-0 run by the Cougars and a 59-53 lead with 8:02 on the game clock.

"Devonta made some huge plays, LeRon (Barnes), (Damyean) Dotson, Galen, but maybe the guy that turned the game for us was Bertrand (Nkali)", said head coach Kelvin Sampson. "When Bertrand came into the game he had a physicality and a rim protection that made our team tougher inside. It is not enough to play tough; you have to play physical. Bertrand brought some physicality, he took a charge and is such a high character kid. He sits on the bench and doesn’t get to play as much as he likes, or as much as he should, I don’t know maybe he should play more. Then he goes in there and does that. It says a lot about his attitude. I’m lucky to coach a guy like Bertrand."

Seldom-used Bertrand Nkali came off the bench in the second-half and provided some much needed toughness and physicality for the Coogs. In just his first minute on the court, Nkali blocked 1 shot and drew a charge.

Later in the second-half, Nkali pulled down a huge offensive rebound which led to a bucket by teammate Galen Robinson, Jr. and a 66-58 lead for the Cougars with 3:40 on the clock.

But, SMU's Nic Moore nailed a three-point shot then, after Nkali missed two free throws, Moore drained another jump shot to slice the Coogs' lead to 66-63 with 2:27 remaining.

Next, Pollard missed two more free throws; and, on the loose ball, Nkali fouled SMU's Ben Moore. Ben made both free throws; and, lo and behold, the Coogs' lead was just one point (66-65) with 2:02 remaining.

Galen Robinson, Jr. missed his first of two free throws (5 straight missed free throws by the Coogs) before giving the Coogs a 67-65 lead when he made the second foul shoot.

Nic Moore missed a go-ahead three-point shot attempt and Dotson missed a jumper. Next, Nkali positioned himself and picked up an offensive foul on SMU big man Markus Kennedy with 59 seconds remaining.

On the Coogs' next offensive possession, Pollard was fouled by Ben Moore. This time, Pollard made both foul shots to put the Coogs ahead 69-65.

Galen Robinson, Jr. blocked a three-point shot by Nic Moore and Nkali was fouled as he grabbed the missed shot. Nkali split the 2 foul shots and the Coogs led 70-65 with 26 seconds remaining.

Using a great pump fake, Nic Moore got Robinson, Jr. off his feet to dribble left and drain a three-point shot for a 70-68 score with 18 seconds on the clock.

Forced to foul, SMU sent Houston sophomore Wes VanBeck to the foul line. Van Beck split his free throws; but, the Mustangs failed to score on their final possession which gave the Coogs their highest-ranked upset victim since 1995.

The Coogs shot 54.5% (12 for 22) from the field in the second half; but, the Coogs shot just 55.6% (10 for 18) from the foul line in the half. Houston owned the boards with a 41-27 edge -- including 15-8 on the offensive boards.

"This was like the old days, the noise and the environment", SMU head coach Larry Brown said. "The first game I coached at the University of Kansas was against Phi Slama Jama. It made feel like the atmosphere was very similar in a lot of ways, which was neat. I remember my mom got mad at me because I scheduled my first game against Phi Slama Jama."

The Coogs next game is Sunday, February 7th, on the road, against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. The Coogs won the first head-to-head match-up this season 81-66 on January 27.

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