Coogs improve to 6-0 with 65-61 win over Oregon

Posted: December 1, 2018 -- 11:59 p.m. CST

HOUSTON, TX (Fertitta Center) -- The Houston Cougars, for the second consecutive game, struggled to make shots; however, once again, the Coogs found a way to win. The Coogs opened the $60-million Fertitta Center with a heart-stopping 65-61 win over the Oregon Ducks Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd.

Armoni Brooks led the Coogs with 22 points. Freshman Nate Hinton scored 14 points; and Corey Davis Jr scored 12 points.

Brooks scored 18 of his points from three-point shots. Brooks' 6 for 13 three-point shooting was the lone bright spot for the Coogs from the three-point line Saturday night. The rest of the team shot 3 for 22 on threes. Corey Davis Jr, Houston's top three-point shooter, made just 1 of his 11 three-point shots. But, once again, the bottom line is Houston won the game.

Houston (6-0) led Oregon (4-3) 37-18 at halftime; however, the Coogs finished the half missing 7 of 8 field goal attempts including missing six consecutive three-point shots.

Houston's cold shooting to finish the first half carried over to the second half. Houston shot a frigid 25.0% (6 for 24) from the floor in the second half. Houston's cold shooting allowed the Ducks to slowly slice Houston's lead in the second half.

In addition to the icy shooting, Houston also turned over the ball seven times in the second half and shot 3 for 6 from the foul line in the final 28 seconds of the game.

Houston led 62-52 with sixty seconds remaining; however, after 7'2" Oregon freshman Bol Bol dunked, Houston committed a turnover. Bol dunked again and was fouled and made the foul shot. Houston's 10 point lead was cut to five in 24 seconds.

After Armoni Brooks missed two free throws, Oregon's Will Richardson was fouled and made both free throws.

62-59, Houston. Twenty-three seconds on the clock.

Oregon fouled freshman Cedrick Alley Jr. with 18.1 seconds left in the game. He split the free throws; and, Bol Bol dunked again with 10 seconds on the game clock.

Oregon fouled Armoni Brooks with 8.8 seconds left in the ball game. This time, Brooks made both free throws for a 65-61 Houston lead. The Ducks did not score in the final seconds; and, the Coogs survived.

NOTES:

Houston freshman forward Fabian White Jr. played 15 minutes in the game. White had offseason foot surgery in June; and, he wasn't medically cleared by the doctors until Wednesday, November 28. He scored 7 points and picked up 4 fouls in his 15 minutes of action.

The Coogs shots 9 for 35 (25.7%) from three and 10 for 22 (45.4%) from two-point range.

NEXT:

Houston hosts Lamar Tuesday, December 4, at 7 p.m.

CLICK HERE for The HRR's write-ups of Coogs' men's hoops games.