Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Sports

UH edges out Owls in final home game

by BEN GEGENHEIMER
The Daily Cougar

The Rice men's basketball team crossed town Wednesday night to face the Cougars at Hoffheinz Pavilion, where the Owls would eventually drown in a "Sea of Red."

Rice (11-15, 5-8 Conference USA), after defeating UH in their last four meetings, lost 74-71 in the midst of 7,105 fans. 

The game came down to the final minute as junior guard Lanny Smith, who scored 17 points, drove down the lane to convert a lay-up, giving UH a 73-71 lead with 48.7 seconds left.

Rice point guard Almond Morris missed a jumper on the ensuing possession, giving the ball back to the Cougars. Junior forward Jahmar Thorpe was fouled and hit one of two free throws making it a 74-71 lead with 20 seconds remaining. 

On the final possession, Almond, the C-USA's leading scorer, missed a baseline jumper as time expired. 

Junior guard Oliver Lafayette, who scored a team-high 22 points, knows that the fan support was a huge factor in helping the Cougars improve their overall record to 19-7 and 9-4 in C-USA.

"(We had) huge fan support," Lafayette said. "I wish it was like this every game. We can't say enough about our fans."

Within the first six minutes of the game, the Cougars found themselves down 12-4. However, they turned things around quickly and put together a 16-2 run by the 11:24 mark. During the run, the Cougars connected on four three-pointers, including two from Smith. UH drained nine shots from downtown in the first half.

Soon after the run, the Cougars found themselves shorthanded as Smith picked up his third personal foul with 9:38 remaining in the half, prompting head coach Tom Penders to sit the junior guard for the rest of the period. 

Senior forward Ramon Dyer, who entered the game averaging 12.7 points per contest, soon joined Smith on the bench after an injury at the 6:02 mark. While attempting to snag a board, Dyer had his legs knocked from under him, fell to the court, banged his head on the hardwood and was slow to get up as team trainers rushed to his aid. Dyer left under his own will and saw limited playing time in the second period.

"I talked to him at the half and he said ‘I want to play,' but he just could not go," Penders said. "He's going to have a back ache and a head ache for a little while. That's his fourth major injury of the year, yet, he keeps bouncing back."

With Smith and Dyer out of the game, Lafayette went to work. He dropped three long-range bombs en route to a 17-point first half performance that sent the crowd into frenzy.

The Cougars trailed for much of the second half as the Owls continued to make trips to the foul line and convert free throws. Rice entered the game as the top free throw-shooting team in C-USA at 73 percent. The Owls converted 17 of 23 foul shots for the game. 

UH worked to get points in the paint in the second half. Smith, Lafayette and Chris Lawson (10 points) continually drove to the basket, and they combined for 33 points in the paint for the Cougars. 

"We have been trying to do that (driving down the lane)," Penders said. "We wanted to attack the lane and not just stand around and pass it against their zone."

The Cougars were able to hold Almond to 17 points in the game, including just five in the first half. Almond entered the game averaging 24.5 points per game against C-USA opponents.

The Cougars travel to Tennessee Saturday to face the No. 3 Memphis Tigers at the FedEx Forum. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. 

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu