UH, Rice meet to rekindle rivalry

by CHRIS ELLIOTT
The Daily Cougar

Senior guard Morris Almond and the Rice Owls have had their way with the Cougars at Autry Court. In the 2005-06 season, Houston entered the confines of its crosstown rival with a 9-3 record, a six-game winning streak and a guarantee of victory by one of its star players. The 71-62 loss left coaches, players and fans in disbelief.

Things are a little bit different this year for tonight’s game. With a 82-67 win over Southern Methodist on Saturday, the Cougars snapped a rough, five-game losing streak. The Cougars (6-8) feel they are just now beginning to click defensively as they prepare to try and contain the nation’s second leading scorer.

Houston head coach Tom Penders said the 8-7 Owls seem to play their best basketball against his squad, and he said the Cougars must be ready to compete at a high level if they plan to leave Autry with a win.

"It’s a big game. We play them twice, and they’ve had their way with us two years in a row over there, and hopefully we can play well," Penders said. "They seem to bring their ‘A’ game every time we play them, whether it’s over there or here. We’ve got to be prepared to go over there and play a great basketball game."

Houston junior point guard and leading scorer Robert "Fluff" McKiver said he doesn’t buy into the difficulty of playing at Autry. The crowd may be hostile, but he said that if his team prepares well enough and comes ready to play the entire 40 minutes, coming out of Autry with a win is a feasible goal.

"A gym is a gym and a basketball is a basketball," McKiver said. "We’re just going in there to play and fight hard and get a win."

Three Cougars, including Lafayette with 21 points, scored in double figures in their last win as Houston shot 55.5 percent for the game. But according to Lafayette, his team’s success against the Owls or any other team will not culminate from offensive numbers.

"We’re starting to defend the ball. Everyone’s starting to get their rotations down," Lafayette said. "It starts with our defense."