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Sports
 

UCF is first of five on UH's way to NCAAs

by CHRIS ELLIOTT
The Daily Cougar

With five games remaining in the season and four wins away from 20, the Cougars find themselves in a difficult but potentially rewarding situation. If Houston beats University of Central Florida, the Cougars could find themselves in the middle of March Madness.

Back on Jan. 14, the Golden Knights embarrassed the Cougars at Hofheinz Pavilion in a 56-66 loss, making it Houston's second loss in a row. UCF managed to find UH in a vulnerable position after their previous loss to Rice, and took advantage of the Cougars' inability to play the zone.

In their victory over Houston, Central Florida shot .474 from three-point land, while the Cougars struggled to hold .311 from the entire field. UCF's Anthony Williams scored 25 points and blocked five shots that night.

Since then, the Golden Knights have lost four out of seven games while Houston has won seven of their last eight. In this run, Houston has improved their field-goal percentage to .438 percent per game. The have managed to shoot their way out of opposing zones and convert turnovers into points.

"We went through a real tough stretch there in early January and we've gotten a lot better," UH head coach Tom Penders said. "I think we're a lot better of a basketball team than we were earlier in the season or last year. But I think we have to remember… at this time of the year most teams are playing at their highest level, and these games are often competitive around the country."

A majority of Houston's latest success can be attributed to the improved play of the forwards. Senior Ramon Dyer has emerged as the Cougars offensive go-to guy. In Houston's latest six-game winning-streak, Dyer has averaged 15 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. 

Sophomore Sam Anderson's average doesn't speak wonders, but his presence off the bench has provided the spark and leadership this young Houston club needed. 

Last, junior Jamar "Dunk Master Flex" Thorpe has given Penders the inside weapon he has been looking for this season. Dunk Master Flex has proven to be a mismatch for any defensive player when he is not in foul trouble. 

After the Cougars' loss against the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers, Houston guard Lanny Smith said the team would need to run the table in order to be considered for the NCAA tournament. So far they have done just that, but the next couple of games, including tonight's match-up, are more than just must-win situations; they are measuring sticks.

"We're playing on the road again," Penders said. "We're 6-4 on the road this year and we've played a tough schedule ... This team looks forward to playing on the road. They have a very businesslike attitude when on the road." 

Two weeks from now, they will travel to El Paso for a rematch against University of Texas-El Paso, whom they edged here at Hofheinz. This time, however, the Cougars will not have the home-court advantage.

The following game will be a grudge match against the Rice Owls, who upset UH earlier in the year. 

Last, but certainly not least, there is No. 3 Memphis, Houston's true test to tell if they are tourney-ready.

"We're putting an exciting basketball team, a winning basketball team on the floor, and we are tournament contenders so far," Penders said.

If Houston manages to knock off the Memphis Tigers at the end of the year while maintaining 20 wins, the Cougars would say goodbye to that blasted contest of mediocrity known as the National Invitation Tournament.
 

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