Top-ranked Houston grinds out 53-48 win over Saint Mary's
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) The high-flying tag for these Houston Cougars means something a little different than it did the last time they were ranked No. 1 nearly 40 years ago.
It's about blocks these days, rather than dunks.
J'Wan Roberts scored 15 points, Marcus Sasser added 13 and top-ranked Houston grinded out a 53-48 victory over Saint Mary's on Saturday night.
The Cougars (8-0) won twice in their first week as the No. 1 team since the final poll of the 1982-83 regular season, when Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon led high-scoring Phi Slama Jama.
Houston is elite on defense now, holding yet another team to less than 40% shooting and getting a key block when Reggie Chaney soared to stuff a layup try in the final seconds, ending any chance of a comeback.
Roberts had two of Houston's six blocks, and eight rebounds.
''When you get two really good defensive teams playing against each other, that's what it looks like,'' Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. ''It had nothing to do with each team's offense.''
Logan Johnson scored 17 points and Aidan Mahaney had 14 for the Gaels (6-3), who lost their third in a row following a 6-0 start.
Houston was the favorite to win it all in the second of three consecutive trips to the Final Four in 1983, but lost to Jim Valvano and North Carolina State in one of the iconic championship games.
Sampson's first top-ranked team is coming off trips to the Final Four and Elite Eight the past two seasons. The school is still seeking its first championship.
For the third straight year, the postseason path will start at Dickie's Arena, where Sampson likes to bring his team during the regular season as prep for the American Athletic Conference tourney.
This victory in the Battleground 2k22 series improved the Cougars to 9-0 in the arena near downtown Fort Worth, where they have won AAC tournament titles each of the past two years.
''I don't dwell on it,'' Sampson said about the ranking. ''We'll have it till we lose, and we'll lose. We're not running around here pushing our chest out, thinking we're something we're not.''
Saint Mary's whittled a 12-point deficit to a single possession when Mahaney hit a 3, and he made it a three-point game again at 46-43 with another from long range.
Roberts answered by backing down for a short jump hook before Sasser converted a three-point play to put the Cougars up 51-43.
Houston broke a 17-all tie with a 14-3 run to finish the first half, with Saint Mary's going 1 of 11 from the field in that stretch against the vaunted Cougars defense, which is the toughest in the nation on scoring and shooting.
Both teams shot 37%, with Sasser and fellow guard Jamal Shead going just 6 of 24 combined and Saint Mary's co-leading scorer Mitchell Saxen getting just six shots and making only two.
''I went into the game, I was like, 'I don't know how in the heck we're going to score,''' Gaels coach Randy Bennett said. ''You could give yourself no chance if you just let them just get easy baskets. We did a good job there. But we couldn't score at a percentage we needed to to beat them.''
BIG PICTURE
Saint Mary's: Facing the No. 1 team isn't foreign to the Gaels, who play in the West Coast Conference with Gonzaga. St. Mary's is 2-7 against the Zags when they have the top ranking, with the victories coming in two of the past three seasons.
Houston: The Cougars had no trouble in their debut with the No. 1 ranking, blowing out Norfolk State 100-52 at home Tuesday. A disciplined and tournament-tested opponent for the second game was just the threat Sampson's club figured it could be.
UP NEXT
Saint Mary's: Hosts Missouri State on Wednesday night.
Houston: Hosts North Florida on Tuesday night.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Mitchell Saxen vs. J'wan Roberts (Cougars gains possession) | |||
19:42 | Jarace Walker misses two point jump shot | |||
19:40 | Kyle Bowen defensive rebound | |||
19:13 | Jamal Shead shooting foul (Logan Johnson draws the foul) | |||
19:13 | +1 | Logan Johnson makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 1-0 | |
19:13 | +1 | Logan Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 2-0 | |
19:00 | +2 | Marcus Sasser makes two point jump shot | 2-2 | |
18:43 | Mitchell Saxen offensive foul | |||
18:43 | Mitchell Saxen turnover (offensive foul) | |||
18:33 | Tramon Mark misses two point jump shot | |||
18:31 | J'wan Roberts offensive rebound | |||
18:18 | Jamal Shead misses two point jump shot | |||
18:16 | Kyle Bowen defensive rebound | |||
17:54 | Mitchell Saxen turnover (Tramon Mark steals) | |||
17:51 | Augustas Marciulionis personal foul (Tramon Mark draws the foul) | |||
17:44 | +2 | Tramon Mark makes two point jump shot | 2-4 | |
17:29 | +3 | Alex Ducas makes three point jump shot (Kyle Bowen assists) | 5-4 | |
17:08 | Jarace Walker misses two point jump shot | |||
17:06 | Tramon Mark offensive rebound | |||
16:45 | Tramon Mark misses two point jump shot | |||
16:43 | Mitchell Saxen defensive rebound | |||
16:28 | +2 | Logan Johnson makes two point jump shot | 7-4 | |
16:09 | Augustas Marciulionis personal foul | |||
16:06 | Marcus Sasser misses two point jump shot | |||
16:04 | Kyle Bowen defensive rebound | |||
15:47 | TV timeout | |||
15:36 | Gaels turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
15:10 | Jarace Walker misses three point jump shot | |||
15:08 | Mitchell Saxen defensive rebound | |||
14:37 | Alex Ducas turnover (Jamal Shead steals) | |||
14:32 | +2 | Marcus Sasser makes two point layup | 7-6 | |
14:08 | Jarace Walker blocks Aidan Mahaney's two point layup | |||
14:06 | Gaels offensive rebound | |||
14:03 | Aidan Mahaney misses three point jump shot | |||
14:01 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
13:53 | Jamal Shead misses two point layup | |||
13:51 | Reggie Chaney offensive rebound | |||
13:48 | +2 | Reggie Chaney makes two point layup | 7-8 | |
13:32 | Aidan Mahaney misses three point jump shot | |||
13:30 | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | |||
13:09 | Jamal Shead misses three point jump shot | |||
13:07 | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | |||
12:47 | +3 | Logan Johnson makes three point jump shot (Kyle Bowen assists) | 10-8 | |
12:19 | J'wan Roberts misses two point jump shot | |||
12:17 | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | |||
12:01 | +2 | Mitchell Saxen makes two point dunk (Aidan Mahaney assists) | 12-8 | |
11:46 | Marcus Sasser misses three point jump shot | |||
11:44 | Reggie Chaney offensive rebound | |||
11:37 | +3 | Jamal Shead makes three point jump shot (Marcus Sasser assists) | 12-11 | |
11:19 | Kyle Bowen turnover (out of bounds) | |||
11:19 | TV timeout | |||
11:03 | Jarace Walker misses two point layup | |||
11:01 | Kyle Bowen defensive rebound | |||
10:48 | Jarace Walker personal foul | |||
10:36 | Kyle Bowen misses three point jump shot | |||
10:34 | Terrance Arceneaux defensive rebound | |||
10:26 | Marcus Sasser misses three point jump shot | |||
10:24 | Logan Johnson defensive rebound | |||
10:09 | +2 | Logan Johnson makes two point layup (Aidan Mahaney assists) | 14-11 | |
9:47 | Logan Johnson shooting foul (Marcus Sasser draws the foul) | |||
9:47 | +1 | Marcus Sasser makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-12 | |
9:47 | +1 | Marcus Sasser makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 14-13 | |
9:31 | +2 | Aidan Mahaney makes two point layup | 16-13 | |
9:12 | +2 | Reggie Chaney makes two point layup (Marcus Sasser assists) | 16-15 | |
8:54 | Aidan Mahaney misses two point layup | |||
8:35 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point layup | 16-17 | |
8:16 | Terrance Arceneaux shooting foul (Logan Johnson draws the foul) | |||
8:16 | Logan Johnson misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
8:16 | +1 | Logan Johnson makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 17-17 | |
7:47 | +2 | Marcus Sasser makes two point layup | 17-19 | |
7:25 | Ja'Vier Francis blocks Mitchell Saxen's two point layup | |||
7:23 | Mitchell Saxen offensive rebound | |||
7:21 | Mitchell Saxen misses two point layup | |||
7:19 | Gaels offensive rebound | |||
7:19 | TV timeout | |||
7:09 | Chris Howell misses three point jump shot | |||
7:07 | Mitchell Saxen offensive rebound | |||
7:07 | Ja'Vier Francis personal foul | |||
6:45 | Gaels turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
6:23 | J'wan Roberts misses two point jump shot | |||
6:21 | Gaels defensive rebound | |||
5:58 | Aidan Mahaney turnover (bad pass) | |||
5:48 | +3 | Jamal Shead makes three point jump shot (Marcus Sasser assists) | 17-22 | |
5:19 | Aidan Mahaney misses three point jump shot | |||
5:17 | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | |||
5:03 | J'wan Roberts turnover (Joshua Jefferson steals) | |||
4:57 | +3 | Alex Ducas makes three point jump shot (Joshua Jefferson assists) | 20-22 | |
4:39 | Marcus Sasser misses three point jump shot | |||
4:37 | Aidan Mahaney defensive rebound | |||
4:30 | Joshua Jefferson misses three point jump shot | |||
4:28 | Reggie Chaney defensive rebound | |||
4:13 | Jamal Shead misses two point jump shot | |||
4:12 | Joshua Jefferson defensive rebound | |||
4:11 | Reggie Chaney personal foul | |||
3:48 | Joshua Jefferson misses three point jump shot | |||
3:46 | Cougars defensive rebound | |||
3:45 | TV timeout | |||
3:23 | Tramon Mark misses two point jump shot | |||
3:21 | Reggie Chaney offensive rebound | |||
3:15 | Logan Johnson personal foul (Tramon Mark draws the foul) | |||
3:02 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point jump shot | 20-24 | |
2:30 | Mitchell Saxen turnover (J'wan Roberts steals) | |||
2:18 | +2 | Tramon Mark makes two point jump shot | 20-26 | |
1:52 | Alex Ducas turnover (Tramon Mark steals) | |||
1:37 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point jump shot | 20-28 | |
1:16 | Alex Ducas misses three point jump shot | |||
1:14 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
1:09 | Kyle Bowen shooting foul (J'wan Roberts draws the foul) | |||
1:09 | J'wan Roberts misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
1:09 | +1 | J'wan Roberts makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 20-29 | |
0:50 | Logan Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
0:48 | Marcus Sasser defensive rebound | |||
0:48 | Chris Howell personal foul (Marcus Sasser draws the foul) | |||
0:46 | +1 | Marcus Sasser makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 20-30 | |
0:46 | +1 | Marcus Sasser makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 20-31 | |
0:20 | Chris Howell misses three point jump shot | |||
0:18 | Tramon Mark defensive rebound | |||
0:13 | Cougars 30 second timeout | |||
0:04 | Jamal Shead turnover (bad pass) | |||
0:04 | Gaels 30 second timeout | |||
0:01 | Marcus Sasser personal foul (Logan Johnson draws the foul) | |||
0:00 | Alex Ducas misses two point jump shot | |||
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
19:49 | Jarace Walker blocks Mitchell Saxen's two point layup | |||
19:47 | Gaels offensive rebound | |||
19:32 | +2 | Logan Johnson makes two point layup (Augustas Marciulionis assists) | 22-31 | |
19:17 | Jamal Shead turnover (lost ball) (Mitchell Saxen steals) | |||
19:06 | +3 | Logan Johnson makes three point jump shot (Kyle Bowen assists) | 25-31 | |
18:28 | Tramon Mark misses three point jump shot | |||
18:25 | Cougars turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
17:58 | Gaels 30 second timeout | |||
17:58 | TV timeout | |||
17:55 | Gaels turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
17:29 | Jarace Walker misses two point layup | |||
17:27 | Jarace Walker offensive rebound | |||
17:18 | +2 | Jarace Walker makes two point dunk (Jamal Shead assists) | 25-33 | |
17:01 | J'wan Roberts personal foul (Augustas Marciulionis draws the foul) | |||
16:46 | Augustas Marciulionis turnover (bad pass) | |||
16:29 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point turnaround hook shot (Tramon Mark assists) | 25-35 | |
16:08 | +2 | Mitchell Saxen makes two point layup (Logan Johnson assists) | 27-35 | |
15:42 | Jamal Shead misses two point layup | |||
15:40 | Mitchell Saxen defensive rebound | |||
15:34 | Tramon Mark personal foul (Alex Ducas draws the foul) | |||
15:34 | TV timeout | |||
15:22 | Kyle Bowen misses three point jump shot | |||
15:20 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
15:09 | Mitchell Saxen blocks Tramon Mark's two point layup | |||
15:07 | Jarace Walker offensive rebound | |||
15:04 | Jump ball. Mitchell Saxen vs. Jarace Walker (Jarace Walker gains possession) | |||
14:53 | Jamal Shead misses two point jump shot | |||
14:51 | Gaels defensive rebound | |||
14:50 | Jarace Walker personal foul |