Houston Cougars defeat UCF 70-52; Fabian White becomes winningest player in UH men's hoops

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POSTED: February 18, 2022 -- 8:35 a.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX -- (Fertitta Center)

The Houston Cougars snapped a two-game losing streak Thursday night with a methodical 70-52 win over the UCF Knights. Graduate forward Fabian White Jr. became the winningest player in Houston Cougars men's hoops history, competing in the 110th win of his collegiate career. He broke out of a tie with Houston legend Michael Young, who played in 109 wins from 1980 to 1984.

"It is good to get it out of the way," White said after the game of win number 110. "My teammates celebrated more than I did, and that shows how close we are. It is a blessing. I want to thank all my coaches and teammates I have had over the years. It feels good to finally get it done so we can play normally."

"This milestone is not just about him," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach said. "It's about the team, staff, and players that helped him to get to his 110th win. Unlike golf or tennis, basketball is a team sport. Fabian has been a big part of the team for a long time; and, I am proud of everything he has accomplished."

Houston went on a 13-0 run to lead 17-5 with 11 minutes to go in the opening half. Houston forward J'Wan Roberts scored the last 6 points of the run. Roberts' energy off the bench provided a much needed boost to the team.

UCF responded with 10 straight points to slice Houston's lead to 17-15. The Knights closed within 1 point (22-21) with 4:09 remaining in the half. Fabian White sank 2 for throws to begin a 7-0 run. Jamal Shead knocked down a three-point shot and scored layup to put Houston ahead 29-21.

Houston led 31-25 at halftime.

Houston made 12 of 29 field goal attempts (41.4%) while UCF made 8 of 31 shot attempts (25.8%) in the first half.

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UCF scored the first 3 points of the second half to cut Houston's lead in half (31-28); however, Shead made another three-pointer before teammate Taze Moore converted a three-point play to boost Houston's lead to 37-28 with 18:41 on the clock.

The Coogs led 45-36 with 14:43 remaining when UCF on an 8-0 run to reduce Houston's lead to just one (45-44) with 12:01 on the game clock. At that point, the Knights had made 7 of 12 field goal attempts in the second half.

UCF went ice cold the rest of the game. UCF missed 11 consecutive shots; and, Houston took advantage of UCF's frigid shooting and steadily increased the lead to 56-44. Houston freshman Ramon Walker made back-to-back three-point shots during Houston's 11-0 run.

"Ramon has put in a lot of time and work," Coach Sampson said after the game.

Houston led 62-48 when UCF's Darius Johnson made a layup to end UCF's field goal drought. Then, the Knights went on another drought from the floor and made only 1 of their final 17 shots to end the game.

The Coogs led by as much as 20 points in the second half and cruised to the win to improve to 21-4 overall and 10-2 in the American Athletic Conference. UCF is now 15-9 overall and 7-7 in conference.

Taze Moore scored 14 points to lead Houston. Fabian White and Jamal Shead each scored 12. White also grabbed 12 rebounds while Shead dished out 8 assists.

Kyler Edwards filled the stat sheet with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Josh Carlton added 8 points and 10 rebounds.

The Coogs outscored the Knights 36-14 in the paint.

Houston's next game is Sunday, February 20, against the Wichita State Shockers, on the road. Tip is set for 12 p.m. Central Time on ESPN.

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