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Sports

Cougars survive with late hustle

Key turnover on final possession seals UH victory as both teams struggle to find their shots throughout

by CHRIS ELLIOTT
THE DAILY COUGAR

Well-timed shots kept UH in the game. Clutch defensive stands and turnovers left the Cougars with the opportunity to strike at the last possible moment, but it was hustle plays and the ability to maintain awareness late in the game that secured the 59-58 win over Saint Louis on Monday night at Hofheinz Pavilion. 

"That comes from being battle-tested," UH junior guard Marcus Malone said. "We did a lot the drills earlier in the season. Diving on the ground, fighting for loose balls, just fighting for survival, and guys like Jahmar (Thorpe) are guys you need on the team. You need guys that will just do that day in and day out, and he came up with a big, big possession, and because of that we won the game. Thanks to Jahmar, we won the game."

He missed a shot late in the game with contact under the basket, but senior Jahmar "Dunk master Flex" Thorpe (16 points, six rebounds) followed it up with a huge play on the ball that would lead to last-minute heroics by a UH squad hungry to extend its three-game winning streak. Saint Louis shooting guard Tommie Liddell grabbed the board after Thorpe's miss and went to push the ball up court when UH senior guard Oliver Lafayette applied the pressure to force the mishandle.

Thorpe hit the deck. With one sprained and one fractured wrist, the 6-6, 225-pound forward fully extended his body to grab the loose ball and call the timeout. Fourteen seconds later he was rewarded with the opportunity to hit what would turn out to be the game-winning shot. 

Malone said Thorpe was the reason for Houston's win, but the man who's been given the alias "Last Minute Malone" had plenty to do with his team's victory. He nailed a crucial three-pointer with 1:56 left in the game to give the Cougars a 57-56 lead, made the dish to Thorpe for the game-winning shot and ended up with the ball in his hands as time expired.

The Billikens were given the chance to take the last shot of the game. Guard Kevin Lisch, who ended the night with a game-high 19 points, sent the shot flying from behind the arc, but it missed the mark. Thorpe couldn't bring down the rebound and the ball went out of bounds with 2.4 seconds remaining in the game, giving the Billikens one more shot at taking the lead. 

Enter Oliver Lafayette and Last Minute Malone.

UH head coach Tom Penders said he knew the Billikens were going to try to get the ball down to big man Ian Vouyoukas, and his team executed to perfection.

"We told our weak side guard to forget his man and come over to just strip the big guy," Penders said. "Jahmar bodied him up real strong and forced him to bring the ball down and Oliver just took it."

Malone also had a hand in the game-securing steal. 

"(Lafayette) helped down on the double team out of bounds," Malone said. "I saw the loose ball and I knew I had to get it to just to run the time out so we could get the win."

Houston entered the half down 34-31, thanks in part to Lisch's five-for-seven performance from the field. Penders said Saint Louis seemed to be moving much faster than his team in the second half and he went to a simpler defense to keep the Cougars in the game.

Penders called for a variation of the man defense and assigned Lisch to Lafayette, who ended the night with a team-high 17 points and three steals.

"I demanded my coach in the second half in the locker room to put me on him," Lafayette said. "I told him he wasn't going to score in the second half if he put me on him. He put me to the challenge, told me to step up and make a play."

Lisch ended the game five for 12 from the field. 

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