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Sports

UH finds a leader in Thorpe

by RONNIE TURNER
The Daily Cougar

There are those athletes who lead with their mouths and are usually the center of attention. And then there are those such as UH senior forward Jahmar Thorpe, who quietly lead by example, letting their actions do the talking.

Looking for a rah-rah, "all eyes on me"-type leader? Try looking elsewhere, because Thorpe has little time for small talk when he's on the court. 

The Cougars are excited when Thorpe is in the game because they know when he's taking care of business, they can defeat any given team on any given night. And because Thorpe took care of business against Saint Louis on Monday night at Hofheinz Pavilion, the Cougars were able to sneak away with a 59-58 victory.

Thorpe finished with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes of action, but stats told only half the story. The other half came in the closing seconds of the game with Houston down by a point and needing a big play to turn the momentum in its favor.

With just under a minute-and-a-half remaining, Thorpe drove to the basket only to have his shot rejected by Saint Louis' Ian Vouyoukas. Instead of sulking over what could have been, Thorpe hustled after a loose ball and dove on the floor to corral it, calling a timeout after he had possession.

On the subsequent possession, Thorpe pulled up for a 17-foot jumper and swished it through the net to give Houston a 59-58 lead. From there on, he hustled down the court where he applied the same effort on defense, helping the Cougars seal their fourth consecutive victory and fifth in the last six games. 

Doing whatever it takes to get the job done and hoping your teammates follow along -- that's what leaders ultimately must do. Just ask Thorpe.

"As a senior, you have to lead by example," Thorpe said after the win. "Tonight, I believe I led by example and my teammates picked up the slack."

Being a leader isn't easy, and it certainly wasn't an easy job on Monday night for Thorpe, who played with four fouls for the final 4:25 and with injuries on both wrists, a pain he's played through over the last month.

"Jahmar hustles every night (and) gives a 100 percent," UH head coach Tom Penders said. "He's a big-time player with a big heart, and he's quietly become (a leader)." 

Thorpe's steady development into the team's leader has been a blessing to the Cougars, who needed someone to step up and take charge after injured senior point guard Lanny Smith opted to sit out the rest of the season and accept a medical redshirt Jan 3.

Monday night's win was only a sample of what the Cougars can do over the remainder of the season under Thorpe's leadership. If you want to see some of the rest, make sure to be at Hofheinz Pavilion on Wednesday night when Houston meets Rice. 

There you'll find Thorpe doing what he does best: taking care of business.

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