Coogs hold off Bearcats, 67-59

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POSTED: February 27, 2024 -- 11:33 p.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX -- Fertitta Center

The Houston Cougars defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats 67-59 Tuesday night. With the win, Houston improves to 25-3 overall and 12-3 in the Big 12 Conference. Houston led 59-46 with 2:47 remaining in the game; but, the Bearcats kept fighting and pulled within 6 points three different times before won by 8 points.

"We made some stupid plays," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach, said regarding how his team played down the stretch. "We were trying to get the game over instead of making the right play."

"Our kids got up 17, then we got up 13 and then some of our guys stopped playing," Coach Sampson remarked.

Despite those critical words of his team's performance in the closing minutes of the game, Coach Sampson praised Cincinnati as well.

"They didn't stop," Coach Sampson said. "They kept playing hard and I think that's something to hang your hat on."

Both teams were solid defensively in the first half; and, as a result of good defense, neither team shot a high percentage in the first 20 minutes.

Cincinnati (16-12, 5-12) made 7 of 27 field goal attempts (25.9 fg%). Houston made 10 of 33 (30.3 fg%).

Houston guard Emanuel Sharp made Houston's 10th basket -- a corner three-pointer -- to end the half and give Houston a 26-17 halftime lead. Sharp's three-point basket was his first basket in the opening half. He was 0 for 4 prior to the bucket.

Jamal Shead also had buzzard's luck in the first half. Shead missed all 7 of his field goal tries.

LJ Cryer carried Houston's offense in the first half with 15 points on 5 for 10 field goal shooting including 3 for 7 from three.

Houston led Cincinnati 30-21 early in the second half when Bearcats' center Aziz Bandaogo was called for a flagrant-1 foul against Jamal Shead.

Shead made both free throws -- for his points of the game. Then, Shead assisted on back-to-back three-point baskets by Emanuel Sharp.

Houston's 8-0 run took 40 seconds and increased the lead to 38-21 with 17:33 on the game clock.

Cincinnati answered with 6 straight points to cut Houston's lead to 11 (38-27). LJ Cryer hit a 3-pointer to boost the lead to 14. Both teams went scoreless for more than 2 minutes before Shead made his first field goal of the game with 12:06 on the clock.

With 9:44 on the clock, Houston led Cincinnati 47-35 after a slam dunk by senior forward J'Wan Roberts.

Once again, the Bearcats scored 6 in a row on back-to-back threes by freshman guard Jizzle James and vet forward John Newman III.

J'Wan Roberts scored a jumper in the paint for a 49-38 Houston lead with 8:18 remaining in the ball game. The Coogs' lead varied between 11 and 15 the next 5 minutes until Houston's 13 point lead with 2:47 on the clock.

Houston's frontcourt depth took another blow when freshman big man JoJo Tugler was limited to just 10 minutes of action. Tugler injured his right ankle and did not play in the second half.

With Tugler unable to play, combined with J'Wan Roberts' swollen knee limiting his explosiveness, and the season-ending injuries to Terrance Arceneaux (Achilles) and Ramon Walker Jr (knee, meniscus), Houston played a lot of 4 guard lineups. As a result, Houston's shorter lineups had difficulties with Cincinnati's tall frontcourt. The Bearcats out-rebounded Houston 42-30 including 18-11 in the second half.

"We're just beat up," Coach Sampson said. "I know the training room will be really busy tomorrow. Thank God we have one of the better trainers in the country and also one of the better sports performance coaches in John Houston and Alan Bishop."

Jamal Shead finished the game just 2 for 11; but, he did have a game-high 11 assists.

After the game, Shead said, "My shots aren't falling, but I'm not the offense. We have four other guys out there so I try to get them involved and be the best I can be on defense."

"In the beginning of the season L.J. [Cryer], Emanuel [Sharp], and J'Wan [Roberts], went through a slump, and now I'm going through it.

"We fought back and got a dub. We're happy that we got a win and we'll move on to the next one."

LJ Cryer scored a game-high 22 points for Houston. Roberts scored 15 and Sharp scored 12.

NEXT: Houston's next game is Saturday, March 2, on the road, against the Oklahoma Sooners. Tip is set for 6 pm CT on ESPN2.

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