by Don Jones
Staff Writer
For a moment, it seemed as though the mystique of Hofheinz Pavilion would work its magic again.
The Houston Cougars men's basketball team looked poised to knock off its second nationally ranked opponent of the season but lost to the Louisville Cardinals 70-66. Leading the ill-fated surge was guard Damon Jones.
Jones led all scorers with 28 points and became the most prolific three-point shooter in the storied history of Cougar basketball when he hit his third three-pointer of the game in the first half.
In the end, though, it was another player, guard DeJuan Wheat of the Cardinals, whom Jones guarded most of the night, who had a career night of his own. Wheat led his team with 22 points, becoming the first player in Cardinals history to score 2,000 or more points and dish out at least 400 assists in a career.
Not everyone in the crowd was sold on Wheat's talents, however. When asked his thoughts on Wheat's accomplishment, Cardinals head coach Denny Crum said, jokingly, "It was just luck."
Wheat said, "I think it puts me in a special category, but it doesn't take the place of winning."
In the first half, the game appeared to belong to Jones. Looking to give his team a lift, Jones picked up his teammates and hoisted them on his shoulders, scoring 14 points by halftime.
Included in those 14 points were four three-pointers. On one of his three-point attempts, he was so far behind the arc even an NBA player would have been forced to blush. Still, the ball hit all net.
After the game, Jones showed his team attitude, pointing out the only thing that matters is a "W." "It's always disappointing to lose," Jones said. Scoring 28 points is fine and dandy, but when you add it all up, it's an "L."
"I don't thrive on personal things," Jones continued. "If I would have gotten only five points and we won the game, I could live with that."