Davis, Dotson, Gray help Coogs top Temple

Updated, 1/29, 8:55 a.m. -- 

Posted: January 28, 2017 -- 11:59 pm CDT.

HOUSTON, TX (Hofheinz Pavilion) -- The Houston Cougars topped the Temple Owls late Saturday night 79-66.

Rob Gray scored a game-high 28 points; pulled down 7 rebounds; and dished a team-high assists. Damyean Dotson scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds. Forward Devin Davis scored 9 points and pulled down 5 rebounds in his first action since December.

"It felt great to be back out there with my team," said Devin Davis. "The feeling of being able to play again and not having to sit on the bench was refreshing. My recovery still hasn’t finished. I just can play minute by minute and keep my feet under me. I have to continue to do everything right for the team."

Davis' return helped the Cougars' offense and defense be much more efficient and effective Saturday night.

"We were more efficient offensively tonight," said head coach Kelvin Sampson after the game. "The ball moved, we played to the third side and executed well.

"We really worked hard this week and it was good to have Devin (Davis) back. We haven’t had him since December 6th and I don’t count South Florida because we were up 18 point before he got in the game. This poor kid has not played since December 6th and came in tonight and had an important game for us. He had 9 points and five rebounds and you can see why we have missed him. It is not just his stats. It is his toughness that he brings and allows Danrad Knowles to rest. Knowles is so much of a better player when he is playing 18-20 minutes instead of 36 or 35, he is just not that type of player.

We are going into an important stretch here. We have a big game Wednesday and then good we have a week off. I like the way we competed and we rebounded the ball well."

Regarding the 9 p.m. tip-off time Kelvin Sampson said, "I feel bad or our fans. Especially fans with children or want to go church tomorrow. I thought about that before the game. If you have young children, trying to get them home and in bed then get them up for church in the morning is going to be rough. Its 11:30 p.m. and a lot of our fans drive far distances and I don’t understand why this game couldn’t have been scheduled anytime from noon until seven. I don’t understand how we couldn’t have fit a time slot in there somewhere. But ultimately, I just feel bad for our fans. I think our crowd would have been bigger if we would have had an afternoon game verses coming out a nine o’clock at night and returning home by midnight. I’m not a big fan."

The Cougars improve to 15-7 overall and 6-4 in the American Athletic Conference.

Gray's 28 and Dotson's 20 help Coogs top Temple

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