Volume 7, Issue 4 University of Houston
Gentlemen can't tame Cougars
UH keeps offense hot in 93-82 win over Centenary
By Sam Khan Jr.
Breaking News
Gentla
After a slow start by the Cougars, the 3,196 in attendance were treated to an offensive show in the first half which included a slew of fast-break dunks and alley-oops, thanks in large part to Houston’s pressure defense that forced 11 first-half turnovers that turned into 18 points.
That defense keyed a 30-9 run, giving the Cougars a 47-29 halftime lead that essentially took the air out of the Gents.
"It might have got a little frustrating for them
(the Gents) seeing how they couldn’t get the ball across half court," said
junior guard Brian Latham, whose defense was a large part of the run. "The
rest of the team started getting steals and we made a little run."
Sophomore guard Lanny Smith, who would lead the Cougars
with 22 points, wanted just seven more for UH to break the 100-point mark
in its 93-82 romp over Centenary.
Latham, who is accustomed to be in the starting
lineup, came off the bench to score 10 points to go with six rebounds and
three steals. His absence from the starting five may have contributed to
Houston’s slow start as they trailed 13-7 just under seven minutes into
the contest, and were still down by three more than halfway into the first
20 minutes before they took the game over.
Penders intimated that bringing Latham off the bench may be something he considers doing more often to provide a spark from the second unit.
"It’s not a punishment," Penders said of benching Latham. "' want to get him to shoot more. It might be best to keep him coming off the bench to help boost us."
While the offense was stagnant at times in the second half, the Gents never got closer than 11. The only drama that remained in the closing minutes was whether or not the Cougars would reach 100 points for the first time this season.
Sophomore guard Lanny Smith, who led the Cougars with 22 points and five assists, certainly tried hard to get them there, throwing up a plethora of threes as the clock wound down.
"Yeah," Smith said of his shooting spree, "we were trying to break that mark."
The last time Houston reached 100 was in 1995 in an overtime win against Texas.
Senior guard Andre Owens added 16 for the Cougars and junior forward Ramon Dyer posted 11 to go with seven rebounds. The Gentlemen were led by forward Chad Maclies who finished with 22, and guard Tyrone Hamilton who added 20. The Cougars (10-6), have now surpassed their win total from 2003-04, when they finished 9-18 on the season. They also remain undefeated at home at 7-0.
Latham said they play well when they’re running, dunking and having a blast.
"When we’re having fun we’re at our best," Latham
said. "When we’re out there moving and rotating like coach says, the ball
seems to just fall in our hands sometimes. It’s fun."
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