Houston Cougars maul the ECU Pirates 109-58

Updated: February 25, 2018 -- 9:29 pm CST.

HOUSTON, TX (H&PE Arena) -- The Houston Cougars removed any chance of a two-game losing streak with a 109-58 pulverizing of the ECU Pirates. Houston lost 91-85 Thursday night at Memphis.

"I was disappointed in our performance from our previous game," Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson said after the ECU game. "The work we put in on Friday, Saturday and this morning was to get us refocused. People picked this team to finish seventh and now they expect us to win all of our games. We didn’t get any new players and I think we’re a good team. When we don’t meet the standards, the players and coaches get disappointed. Our guys were sharp today, but there were a few challenges along the way.

"We lost the lead against Cincinnati and Memphis, so we had to address that. We tried to play in four-minute segments tonight and the most important one was the last segment of the first half. I really focused on that and I thought we finished that half out well. I’m pleased with all of our points and emphasis. We had 31 assists, 42 baskets and our rebounds were outstanding."

"We wanted to be player-coached and just come out and know that we’re playing for ourselves, for the city and for the program," said Houston senior guard Rob Gray. "Also, to just to get rid of that bad taste from Memphis and losing on the road in a very winnable game. Just a chance for us to come out protect the paint, rebound and play defense without Coach Sampson getting on us and just holding each other accountable."


The loss to Memphis snapped a 5-game winning streak for the Cougars. Sunday afternoon, Houston dominated the Pirates and improved to 22-6 this season and 12-4 in the American Athletic Conference.

Final stats: Houston Cougars 109, ECU Pirates 58

With the win, the Coogs clinch a first-round bye the AAC Tournament.

Armoni Brooks scored a team-high 21 points in only 18 minutes of action. Brooks made 7 of 9 three-point shots.

"We saw a lot of slippage in our defensive principles, so we just went back to our defensive principles," Brooks said after the game. "We did a lot of shell drill which is like our bible. It helps us be in the right spots defensively."

Houston tied a conference record making 18 three-point shots in the game. The Coogs shot 18 for 27 from three and 24 for 36 on two-point field goals.

Rob Gray scored 19 points and dished a career-high 11 assists for the first double-double of his UH career.

"I’m just glad that we have the personnel to be able to get 11 assists," Gray said. "We have a lot of not just shooters, but makers. I’m extremely thankful that they’re my teammates. A lot of teams send an extra defender or two at me when I’m in the paint, so it helps that our team makes winning plays."

"In terms of execution, I think this was Rob’s best basketball game," Coach Sampson said. "Making the right plays, letting the ball come to him and being free and natural. He was starting to score a little bit and come back the other night. I just thought he was outstanding in making the right plays."

Corey Davis Jr added 16 points and 7 assists; and, Gabe Grant chipped in 12 points off the bench in 11 minutes. Grant was a perfect 4-for-4 on three-point shots.

Galen Robinson Jr stuffed the stat sheet with 7 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.

The Coogs' stellar ball movement and shot making resulted in 31 assists on the 42 baskets.

ECU led 3-2 before Rob Gray made back-to-back three-point shots to put the Coogs ahead 8-3. Houston led the rest of the ball game.

The Coogs led the Pirates 62-13 at halftime.

Houston shot 74.2% (23 for 31) in the opening 20 minutes including 75.0% (12 for 16) on three-point shots.

Houston led by as much as 61 points in the game and cruised to the 51 point victory.

The Coogs' next game is Wednesday, February 28, in Dallas, against the SMU Mustangs. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

"The (SMU) team is full of excellent talent: (Jahmal) McMurray, (Ben) Emelogu, (Jimmy) Whitt, (Ethan) Chargois, (Akoy) Agau and (William) Douglas," Coach Sampson added. "When I was at Oklahoma, I only played seven guys. Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State also only played seven guys. SMU plays seven guys and all seven are good players. They put you in a tough position, because they only play one big at a time. Last year we played Galen (Robinson), Wes (VanBeck) and (Damyean) Dotson. SMU goes small and makes you go small. Last time, our small lineup helped us, but it took away half of our roster. The strength of our teams is depth up front. They’re a tough matchup for everybody."

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