Cryer scores 15 as No. 3 Houston rolls to 75-39 win over Rice
HOUSTON (AP) L.J. Cryer scored 15 points, Emanuel Sharp added 12 and No. 3 Houston beat Rice 75-39 Wednesday night.
Cryer, who hit five 3-pointers, has scored in double-figures in eight straight games. Sharp had nine points in the first half, all in a 22-4 run that gave the Cougars (9-0) a 30-13 lead with five minutes remaining in the half. Houston led 34-18 at halftime.
“I mainly try to get it started on the defensive end or on the boards,” Sharp said of his offense. “That’s what the coaches tell me is the best way. If you go out there trying to get it off on the offensive end, it’s most likely not going to come. Just trying to get comfortable on defense, and with my rebounding, usually translates to my offense.”
Ja’Vier Francis and Damian Dunn each scored 10 points for Houston, which shot 47% and 8 of 22 on 3-pointers.
Houston won its 10th straight home game dating back to last season and opened 9-0 for the second straight season. The Cougars forced Rice into 21 turnovers, which they converted into 26 points and held a 43-29 advantage in rebounding.
“We’ve been working at this since June, so there shouldn’t be a certain five better players on the court that play better defense than others,” Sharp said. “That’s what our strength is this year is our depth. Just being able to sub guys in and out and having that same defensive intensity over 40 minutes is what makes us such a good defensive team.”
Houston entered leading the nation in scoring defense, allowing 50.4 points per game and were second in opponents’ field goal percentage with 34.9%.
“We’re getting better,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said of his team's defense. “Our responsibilities, execution. It’s not easy being a good defensive team. It’s not. Not all defensive teams are built equal. They’re all different.”
Alem Huseinovic scored 10 points, and Keanu Dawes added seven points for Rice (3-6). The Owls shot 29% and were 5 of 21 on 3s.
“They’re the best one,” Rice coach Scott Pera said of Houston’s defense. “They’re just so good. They’re just so connected and play so hard. It’s impressive to watch and fun to watch. It’s scary to watch on tape when you know you have to play them.”
THE TAKEAWAY
Rice: The Owls are 9-103 against ranked opponents. Rice’s last win against a ranked team was Jan. 30, 1999, when the Owls beat No. 24 TCU 76-69. ... The 39 points were a season low, eclipsing the previous low of 56.
Houston: The Cougars have allowed fewer than 20 points in the first half in five of their nine games this season. ... Houston had a 40-16 advantage in points in the paint.
MOVING ON UP
The win was Sampson’s 741st career victory, tying him with John Chaney on the NCAA winningest coaches list.
UP NEXT
Rice: Hosts Incarnate Word on Dec. 13.
Houston: Hosts Jackson State on Saturday.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Max Fiedler vs. Ja'Vier Francis (Alem Huseinovic gains possession) | ||
| 19:37 |  | Keanu Dawes misses two point jump shot | ||
| 19:35 | | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | ||
| 19:14 | | Max Fiedler personal foul | ||
| 19:06 | | Jamal Shead misses two point jump shot | ||
| 19:04 | | J'wan Roberts offensive rebound | ||
| 18:59 | | +3 | Jamal Shead makes three point jump shot (Emanuel Sharp assists) | 0-3 |
| 18:42 | | +3 | Travis Evee makes three point jump shot (Max Fiedler assists) | 3-3 |
| 18:20 | | Max Fiedler shooting foul (Ja'Vier Francis draws the foul) | ||
| 18:20 | | +1 | Ja'Vier Francis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 3-4 |
| 18:20 | | +1 | Ja'Vier Francis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 3-5 |
| 18:05 | | Travis Evee misses three point jump shot | ||
| 18:03 | | LJ Cryer defensive rebound | ||
| 17:50 | | Ja'Vier Francis misses two point jump shot | ||
| 17:48 | | Mekhi Mason defensive rebound | ||
| 17:38 | | Ja'Vier Francis blocks Mekhi Mason's two point layup | ||
| 17:36 | | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | ||
| 17:30 | | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 3-8 |
| 17:08 | | Alem Huseinovic turnover (lost ball) (J'wan Roberts steals) | ||
| 17:02 | | Emanuel Sharp turnover (lost ball) (Alem Huseinovic steals) | ||
| 16:41 | | Travis Evee misses two point jump shot | ||
| 16:39 | | LJ Cryer defensive rebound | ||
| 16:24 | | J'wan Roberts misses two point jump shot | ||
| 16:22 | | Andrew Akuchie defensive rebound | ||
| 16:10 | | +3 | Alem Huseinovic makes three point jump shot | 6-8 |
| 15:47 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:45 | | Ja'Vier Francis offensive rebound | ||
| 15:40 | | Ja'Vier Francis turnover (lost ball) (Travis Evee steals) | ||
| 15:33 | | LJ Cryer personal foul | ||
| 15:33 | | TV timeout | ||
| 15:23 | | Joseph Tugler blocks Mekhi Mason's two point layup | ||
| 15:21 | | Owls offensive rebound | ||
| 15:14 | | +3 | Mekhi Mason makes three point jump shot (Travis Evee assists) | 9-8 |
| 14:56 | | Joseph Tugler turnover (lost ball) (Alem Huseinovic steals) | ||
| 14:53 | | Mylik Wilson personal foul | ||
| 14:41 | | Mekhi Mason turnover (lost ball) (LJ Cryer steals) | ||
| 14:27 | | Joseph Tugler turnover (traveling) | ||
| 14:12 | | Mekhi Mason misses two point jump shot | ||
| 14:10 | | Mylik Wilson defensive rebound | ||
| 13:51 | | Damian Dunn misses two point jump shot | ||
| 13:49 | | Anthony Selden defensive rebound | ||
| 13:20 | | Travis Evee misses three point jump shot | ||
| 13:18 | | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | ||
| 13:11 | | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 9-11 |
| 12:37 | | Owls turnover (shot clock violation) | ||
| 12:13 | | Terrance Arceneaux misses two point jump shot | ||
| 12:11 | | Joseph Tugler offensive rebound | ||
| 12:06 | | LJ Cryer misses three point jump shot | ||
| 12:04 | | Terrance Arceneaux offensive rebound | ||
| 11:59 | | LJ Cryer misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:57 | | Travis Evee defensive rebound | ||
| 11:56 | | Joseph Tugler personal foul | ||
| 11:56 | | TV timeout | ||
| 11:43 | | Keanu Dawes misses two point jump shot | ||
| 11:41 | | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | ||
| 11:36 | | +2 | Damian Dunn makes two point layup (Emanuel Sharp assists) | 9-13 |
| 11:25 | | Owls 30 second timeout | ||
| 11:18 | | Mekhi Mason turnover (bad pass) | ||
| 11:07 | | Keanu Dawes shooting foul (Ja'Vier Francis draws the foul) | ||
| 11:07 | | Ja'Vier Francis misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 11:07 | | Ja'Vier Francis misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | ||
| 11:07 | | Keanu Dawes defensive rebound | ||
| 10:36 | | Travis Evee turnover (bad pass) (Ja'Vier Francis steals) | ||
| 10:28 | | +3 | Emanuel Sharp makes three point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 9-16 |
| 10:10 | | Damian Dunn personal foul | ||
| 10:05 | | Travis Evee misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:03 | | Keanu Dawes offensive rebound | ||
| 9:58 | | +2 | Keanu Dawes makes two point layup | 11-16 |
| 9:45 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:43 | | Mekhi Mason defensive rebound | ||
| 9:36 | | Mekhi Mason misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:34 | | Damian Dunn defensive rebound | ||
| 9:25 | | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | ||
| 9:23 | | Emanuel Sharp offensive rebound | ||
| 9:13 | | +2 | Damian Dunn makes two point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 11-18 |
| 8:47 | | Mekhi Mason misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:45 | | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | ||
| 8:32 | | +2 | Terrance Arceneaux makes two point jump shot | 11-20 |
| 8:13 | | Alem Huseinovic misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:11 | | Keanu Dawes offensive rebound | ||
| 8:07 | | +2 | Alem Huseinovic makes two point jump shot (Keanu Dawes assists) | 13-20 |
| 7:49 | | Damian Dunn misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:47 | | Terrance Arceneaux offensive rebound | ||
| 7:45 | | TV timeout | ||
| 7:44 | | +2 | Emanuel Sharp makes two point layup (Jamal Shead assists) | 13-22 |
| 7:29 | | Anthony Selden offensive foul | ||
| 7:29 | | Anthony Selden turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 7:08 | | LJ Cryer misses three point jump shot | ||
| 7:06 | | Joseph Tugler offensive rebound | ||
| 7:02 | | +2 | Joseph Tugler makes two point layup | 13-24 |
| 6:48 | | Max Fiedler turnover (bad pass) (Joseph Tugler steals) | ||
| 6:42 | | Max Fiedler shooting foul (Emanuel Sharp draws the foul) | ||
| 6:42 | | +1 | Emanuel Sharp makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 13-25 |
| 6:42 | | +1 | Emanuel Sharp makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-26 |
| 6:31 | | Andrew Akuchie turnover (bad pass) (Joseph Tugler steals) | ||
| 6:17 | | +2 | Emanuel Sharp makes two point jump shot (J'wan Roberts assists) | 13-28 |
| 6:12 | | Owls 30 second timeout | ||
| 6:02 | | Travis Evee turnover (lost ball) (Jamal Shead steals) | ||
| 5:56 | | Emanuel Sharp turnover (lost ball) (Andrew Akuchie steals) | ||
| 5:56 | | Joseph Tugler personal foul | ||
| 5:40 | | Travis Evee misses two point jump shot | ||
| 5:38 | | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | ||
| 5:17 | | +2 | Damian Dunn makes two point jump shot | 13-30 |
| 4:57 | | +2 | Anthony Selden makes two point jump shot | 15-30 |
| 4:36 | | Terrance Arceneaux misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:34 | | Anthony Selden defensive rebound | ||
| 4:27 | | Keanu Dawes misses three point jump shot | ||
| 4:25 | | Cougars defensive rebound | ||
| 4:02 | | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point layup (Jamal Shead assists) | 15-32 |
| 3:48 | | J'wan Roberts blocks Travis Evee's two point layup | ||
| 3:46 | | Damian Dunn defensive rebound | ||
| 3:39 | | Jamal Shead turnover (bad pass) (Anthony Selden steals) | ||
| 3:31 | | +3 | Alem Huseinovic makes three point jump shot (Sam Alajiki assists) | 18-32 |
| 3:17 | | LJ Cryer misses two point jump shot | ||
| 3:15 | | Alem Huseinovic defensive rebound | ||
| 2:57 | | TV timeout | ||
| 2:49 | | Anthony Selden offensive foul | ||
| 2:49 | | Anthony Selden turnover (offensive foul) | ||
| 2:34 | | Terrance Arceneaux misses two point jump shot | ||
| 2:32 | | Damian Dunn offensive rebound | ||
| 2:24 | | Ja'Vier Francis misses two point jump shot | ||
| 2:22 | | Alem Huseinovic defensive rebound | ||
| 2:01 | | LJ Cryer personal foul | ||
| 1:47 | | Anthony Selden turnover (bad pass) (Jamal Shead steals) | ||
| 1:41 | | Damian Dunn misses two point jump shot | ||
| 1:39 | | Terrance Arceneaux offensive rebound | ||
| 1:19 | | Andrew Akuchie blocks Ja'Vier Francis's two point layup | ||
| 1:17 | | Andrew Akuchie defensive rebound | ||
| 0:58 | | Sam Alajiki misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:56 | | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | ||
| 0:44 | | Terrance Arceneaux misses two point jump shot | ||
| 0:42 | | Ja'Vier Francis offensive rebound | ||
| 0:37 | | +2 | Ja'Vier Francis makes two point layup | 18-34 |
| 0:06 | | Alem Huseinovic misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:04 | | Terrance Arceneaux defensive rebound | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |