Coogs defeat Mustangs, 65-58

Posted: February 24, 2013 -- 5:20 p.m. CT.

HOUSTON, TX (Hofheinz Pavilion) -- The Houston Cougars played their most complete basketball game of the 2012-2013 season and earned a 65-58 victory over the SMU Mustangs Sunday afternoon in front of 677 fans.

The loss was just the second Conference USA loss for the first-place Mustangs this season. The Coogs limited SMU's leading scorer, Keena Mays, to just 15 points on 6 of 21 field goal shooting. (Mays averaged 20 points on 42.1% shooting coming into the game.)

Houston freshman Alecia Smith scored a game-high 18 points (7 for 15, 4 for 9 on threes) and pulled down seven rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

Junior post Yasmeen Thompson played the entire 40 minutes and produced her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Coogs (12-14 overall, 6-7 in Conference USA) trailed the Mustangs 58-57 with 4:30 remaining in the ball game; however, freshman wing Marche' Amerson nailed a big time three-point shot from the corner to put the Coogs ahead 60-58 at the 4:02 mark.


Amerson split two free throws 35 seconds later; and, after neither team scored for two minutes, Amerson drained another three point shot from nearly the same spot as the first three to give the Coogs a 64-58 lead with 1:28 on the game clock.

The Mustangs did not score a single point in the final 4:30 of the game.

Both teams struggled to make shots in the first half.

The Coogs connected on just 9 of 30 field goal attempts (30.0%) in the first half while the Mustangs made only 11 of 35 attempts (31.4%).

Houston led 26-25 at halftime.

The second half featured five ties and 6 lead changes.

The Cougars next game is Thursday, February 28, on the road, at UCF. Tip is set for 6 p.m.