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 looks to extend streak against ECU

by BEN GEGENHEIMER
The Daily Cougar

After handing UTEP its first Conference USA loss of the season in Wednesday night’s 63-57 victory at Hofheinz, the men’s basketball team will look to make it four in a row at East Carolina at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Cougars (13-6, 4-3) have plenty to contend with, despite ECU’s (7-13, 1-6) place in the conference basement. 

Pirate junior guard Japhet McNeil dished out 11 assists in a 72-66 loss against the Marshall Thundering Herd, setting a new single-season record for assists (131) at ECU. Corey Rouse, a 6-foot-8-inch forward, scored 15 points and collected nine rebounds for the Pirates on Wednesday.

ECU’s lone conference victory came at home against Tulsa (7-12, 2-4) on Saturday.

UH head coach Tom Penders knows that this weekend’s game in Greenville, N.C., one of the farthest trips in C-USA, will be tough on his team.

"Fortunately we’re not taking a bus," Penders said. "Last year we had that same trip, and it’s a tough place to play. ... You have to fly in and then drive for two hours on a bus and then play in front of an almost always hostile arena up there."

UH entered the UTEP leading the conference in three-point field goals made per game at 9.6. The Cougars continued to shoot well as they knocked down eight three-pointers on 15 attempts. Penders knows his team’s 53-percent performance from downtown may have been the difference in the six-point victory.

"College basketball is all about that," Penders said. "Almost every game, it boils down to who shoots better from the three. I want us to take threes in rhythm when guys are open. I think we’re getting a better understanding of that."

Junior guard Lanny Smith, who scored 12 points against the Miners, feels the win over UTEP will help the Cougars down the stretch. 

"It gives us a lot of confidence," Smith said. "We think we are on a roll and hopefully we can just keep going."
 

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu