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Sports

Houston makes it three wins in a row

Lafayette, Lawson combine for 28 points 

by BEN GEGENHEIMER
The Daily Cougar

The men's basketball team combined an aggressive defensive effort with timely shooting en route to a 63-57 victory over UTEP at Hofheinz Pavilion on Wednesday. The Cougars forced 21 turnovers and had four players score in double figures.

Despite its overall success on both sides of the ball, UH struggled to connect from the free-throw line in the final minutes of the game. The Cougars held a 10-point lead with 2:17 remaining, but missed seven of their next eight free throws as their lead fell to 61-57 with 15 seconds left. However, junior guard Oliver Lafayette converted both of his foul shots in the closing seconds to seal the win.

With his team struggling from the foul line, head coach Tom Penders was pleased to see the final two free throws fall. UH is shooting just 63 percent from the foul line this season.

"That's something that we work on," Penders said. "That's where true confidence, poise and focus show up. I know sometimes when the kids are playing hard they lose their legs a little bit, but we practice free-throw shooting after we do a lot of running. Let's just hope it's something that we'll learn from and focus on even harder."

Lafayette led UH with 16 points while teammate Chris Lawson chipped in with 12 points from the bench, shooting 5-9 from the field. The senior entered the game early in the first half at point guard, taking over the ball handling duties for starter Brian Latham, who recorded two fouls in the first five minutes of the game. Lawson's presence was felt immediately.

With just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half, Lawson took the ball coast-to-coast in seven seconds, weaving around defenders and spinning through the lane before laying it in for the basket. His performance never waned, and he finished tied for a game-high three assists. The Chicago native entered the game averaging just three points per contest. 

"We thought the combination of Lawson and Brian Latham and their ability to push the ball and drive was going to be key," Penders said. "Chris is the best we have off the dribble. He does a really good job of attacking the basket and today he finished and I think that's good for his confidence."

Lawson's final basket of the game came on a break-away dunk following Miner John Tofi's basket with 31 seconds remaining in the game. His defender was caught out of position, leaving him open for a right-handed jam. 

"They didn't pick me up," said Lawson. "So Ramon (Dyer) saw me and just threw me the ball. I had it in my mind that when I caught it I was going to throw it down."

Part of the Cougar's game plan was to shut down Tofi, a 6-8 forward averaging 14 points and 8.9 rebounds per game prior to facing the Cougars. Penders' team was successful in limiting Tofi, who finished with 16 rebounds but scored only 10 points, including just two points in the first half.

The Miners entered the game without their third leading scorer ? guard Miguel Ayala, who was named Conference USA Co-Player of the Week on Monday following his 25-point performance against SMU. In that game, Ayala suffered an injury that required surgery.

Senior Forward Ramon Dyer continued his success from downtown, connecting on three of six three-pointers. He finished with his second straight double-double, collecting 10 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Junior guard Lanny Smith added 12 points, and said his team enjoyed having the support of the 4,241 in attendance.

"It was great, we needed it," Smith said. "Especially when we made our run I think they rattled the other team a little bit."

The Cougars' next game is against East Carolina at 4 p.m. Saturday in Greenville, N.C.
 

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