Cryer scores 20, No. 3 Houston stays unbeaten with 89-55 win over West Virginia
HOUSTON (AP) L.J. Cryer scored 20 points, Damian Dunn added 14 points and No. 3 Houston improved to 14-0 with an 89-55 win over West Virginia in the Cougars’ inaugural Big 12 contest on Saturday.
Cryer scored 16 points in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting, including four 3-pointers, as Houston shot 58% as a team and took a 48-22 lead into halftime. Cryer has scored at least 20 points in five games this season.
“We focused on defense, and I felt like we were going to get out into transition and get easier shots,” Cryer said. “Just being locked in on defense will make you dialed in on offense. I felt like because I was defensive focused today that’s why the ball was going in.”
Ja’Vier Francis had 13 points and five rebounds, and Jamal Shead had eight points and 11 assists for Houston, which shot 53% overall, including 9 of 18 on 3-pointers.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said the first Big 12 conference game didn’t feel any different to him.
“We wanted to win for sure, and there’s an excitement about playing our first conference game,” Sampson said. “Now we go play our second one. I don’t spend a lot of time with the hoopla stuff.”
Houston extended its home winning streak to 14 games. The Cougars improved to 14-0 for the third time in school history, joining the 1967-68 and 2018-19 teams.
The Cougars forced 12 turnovers and turned them into 14 points. Houston also had a 48-20 advantage in points in the paint.
“We had a really good plan against their zone,” Sampson said. “We knew exactly how we wanted to attack their man-to-man (defense), and then, when they went zone, we just flowed right into what we had worked on. Our kids are unselfish. Everybody understands their role, buys into it and accepts it. Our defense got us going early, and we fed off that.”
Patrick Suemnick had 12 points and five rebounds and Noah Farrakhan added nine points for West Virginia (5-9, 0-1 Big 12). The Mountaineers shot 32% and were 4 of 23 on 3-pointers.
RaeQuan Battle, who had led the Mountaineers with 27 points per game, finished with four points on 1-of-9 shooting.
“That was an impressive performance defensively,” West Virginia interim coach Josh Eilert said of Houston. “I thought we could maybe create some advantages in the game play, but they did a masterful job defensively in their game plan in terms of what they did to us and what they took us out of.”
BIG PICTURE
West Virginia: The 22 first half points were the fewest points the Mountaineers have scored in a first half this season and tied for the fewest points they have scored in any half this season.
Houston: J’Wan Roberts returned after missing the last game Dec. 30 against Penn with a knee injury. He scored nine points. … Entering Saturday, Houston joined No. 19 James Madison and No. 22 Mississippi as the only remaining undefeated teams.
UP NEXT
West Virginia: Hosts Kansas State on Tuesday.
Houston: Travels to Iowa State on Tuesday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Akok Akok vs. Ja'Vier Francis (Jamal Shead gains possession) | |||
19:47 | J'wan Roberts misses two point jump shot | |||
19:45 | Akok Akok defensive rebound | |||
19:31 | Quinn Slazinski misses three point jump shot | |||
19:29 | Ja'Vier Francis defensive rebound | |||
19:19 | +2 | Ja'Vier Francis makes two point dunk (Jamal Shead assists) | 0-2 | |
19:01 | RaeQuan Battle misses two point jump shot | |||
18:59 | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | |||
18:46 | RaeQuan Battle personal foul | |||
18:35 | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot | 0-5 | |
18:15 | Ja'Vier Francis blocks Quinn Slazinski's two point jump shot | |||
18:13 | RaeQuan Battle offensive rebound | |||
17:59 | RaeQuan Battle misses three point jump shot | |||
17:57 | Ja'Vier Francis defensive rebound | |||
17:48 | J'wan Roberts misses two point jump shot | |||
17:46 | Quinn Slazinski defensive rebound | |||
17:26 | +2 | Noah Farrakhan makes two point jump shot | 2-5 | |
16:59 | Emanuel Sharp misses three point jump shot | |||
16:42 | Quinn Slazinski misses three point jump shot | |||
16:40 | Noah Farrakhan offensive rebound | |||
16:35 | Akok Akok misses two point layup | |||
16:35 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
16:35 | Noah Farrakhan personal foul | |||
16:15 | Jamal Shead misses three point jump shot | |||
16:13 | RaeQuan Battle defensive rebound | |||
16:04 | +2 | Noah Farrakhan makes two point jump shot | 4-5 | |
15:40 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point jump shot | 4-7 | |
15:21 | Quinn Slazinski misses three point jump shot | |||
15:19 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
15:11 | +2 | Jamal Shead makes two point dunk | 4-9 | |
14:45 | RaeQuan Battle turnover (lost ball) (Emanuel Sharp steals) | |||
14:41 | RaeQuan Battle personal foul | |||
14:41 | TV timeout | |||
14:24 | +2 | LJ Cryer makes two point jump shot (Damian Dunn assists) | 4-11 | |
14:06 | Noah Farrakhan misses three point jump shot | |||
14:04 | Damian Dunn defensive rebound | |||
14:04 | Seth Wilson personal foul | |||
13:44 | Damian Dunn misses three point jump shot | |||
13:42 | Noah Farrakhan defensive rebound | |||
13:13 | Noah Farrakhan misses two point jump shot | |||
13:11 | Joseph Tugler defensive rebound | |||
12:46 | Jamal Shead misses two point jump shot | |||
12:37 | Jamal Shead offensive rebound | |||
12:37 | Jamal Shead misses two point layup | |||
12:37 | Noah Farrakhan defensive rebound | |||
12:37 | +3 | Quinn Slazinski makes three point jump shot (Noah Farrakhan assists) | 7-11 | |
12:18 | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot | 7-14 | |
11:56 | Quinn Slazinski turnover (lost ball) (Joseph Tugler steals) | |||
11:54 | Joseph Tugler turnover (lost ball) (Patrick Suemnick steals) | |||
11:54 | TV timeout | |||
11:41 | Kerr Kriisa turnover (bad pass) (Joseph Tugler steals) | |||
11:29 | +2 | Damian Dunn makes two point jump shot | 7-16 | |
11:03 | +3 | Akok Akok makes three point jump shot (Kerr Kriisa assists) | 10-16 | |
10:41 | Akok Akok shooting foul (Damian Dunn draws the foul) | |||
10:41 | +1 | Damian Dunn makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 10-17 | |
10:41 | +1 | Damian Dunn makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 10-18 | |
10:24 | Kerr Kriisa turnover (bad pass) (LJ Cryer steals) | |||
10:07 | +2 | LJ Cryer makes two point jump shot | 10-20 | |
9:50 | Mylik Wilson personal foul | |||
9:34 | Seth Wilson misses three point jump shot | |||
9:32 | Mylik Wilson defensive rebound | |||
9:20 | +2 | Emanuel Sharp makes two point layup | 10-22 | |
9:20 | Seth Wilson shooting foul (Emanuel Sharp draws the foul) | |||
9:20 | +1 | Emanuel Sharp makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 10-23 | |
9:15 | J'wan Roberts personal foul | |||
9:14 | J'wan Roberts personal foul | |||
8:52 | +3 | Kerr Kriisa makes three point jump shot (Akok Akok assists) | 13-23 | |
8:52 | +2 | Ramon Walker Jr. makes two point layup | 13-25 | |
8:44 | Kobe Johnson misses two point layup | |||
8:42 | Ramon Walker Jr. defensive rebound | |||
8:32 | Mylik Wilson misses two point jump shot | |||
8:30 | Josiah Harris defensive rebound | |||
8:21 | Kerr Kriisa misses three point jump shot | |||
8:19 | Mountaineers offensive rebound | |||
8:13 | Jamal Shead blocks Josiah Harris's three point jump shot | |||
8:11 | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | |||
7:54 | Ja'Vier Francis turnover (traveling) | |||
7:54 | TV timeout | |||
7:40 | Quinn Slazinski misses three point jump shot | |||
7:38 | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | |||
7:19 | Ja'Vier Francis misses two point jump shot | |||
7:17 | Ja'Vier Francis offensive rebound | |||
7:12 | +2 | Ja'Vier Francis makes two point layup | 13-27 | |
6:58 | Damian Dunn personal foul | |||
6:33 | Kobe Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
6:33 | Mountaineers offensive rebound | |||
6:33 | Mountaineers turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
6:23 | J'wan Roberts misses two point layup | |||
6:21 | Ja'Vier Francis offensive rebound | |||
6:17 | +2 | Ja'Vier Francis makes two point layup | 13-29 | |
5:59 | Noah Farrakhan misses two point jump shot | |||
5:57 | Patrick Suemnick offensive rebound | |||
5:53 | +2 | Patrick Suemnick makes two point layup | 15-29 | |
5:33 | +3 | Emanuel Sharp makes three point jump shot (J'wan Roberts assists) | 15-32 | |
5:17 | Ja'Vier Francis personal foul | |||
5:05 | Emanuel Sharp personal foul | |||
5:02 | Quinn Slazinski misses three point jump shot | |||
4:59 | LJ Cryer defensive rebound | |||
4:39 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point layup (Jamal Shead assists) | 15-34 | |
4:28 | Noah Farrakhan misses two point jump shot | |||
4:26 | Emanuel Sharp defensive rebound | |||
4:22 | +2 | Jamal Shead makes two point layup | 15-36 | |
4:22 | Mountaineers 30 second timeout | |||
4:02 | +2 | Noah Farrakhan makes two point jump shot | 17-36 | |
3:38 | LJ Cryer misses three point jump shot | |||
3:36 | Emanuel Sharp offensive rebound | |||
3:26 | +2 | J'wan Roberts makes two point layup (Jamal Shead assists) | 17-38 | |
3:05 | +2 | Quinn Slazinski makes two point layup | 19-38 | |
3:05 | Joseph Tugler shooting foul (Quinn Slazinski draws the foul) | |||
3:05 | +1 | Quinn Slazinski makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 20-38 | |
2:50 | Joseph Tugler misses two point jump shot | |||
2:48 | Cougars offensive rebound | |||
2:48 | TV timeout | |||
2:35 | +2 | Joseph Tugler makes two point dunk (Jamal Shead assists) | 20-40 | |
2:26 | Emanuel Sharp personal foul | |||
2:26 | +1 | Noah Farrakhan makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-40 | |
2:26 | Noah Farrakhan misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
2:26 | Damian Dunn defensive rebound | |||
2:12 | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 21-43 | |
1:54 | RaeQuan Battle misses three point jump shot | |||
1:54 | Damian Dunn defensive rebound | |||
1:54 | Noah Farrakhan personal foul | |||
1:54 | +1 | Damian Dunn makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-44 | |
1:54 | +1 | Damian Dunn makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-45 | |
1:41 | Damian Dunn blocks RaeQuan Battle's two point layup | |||
1:39 | Joseph Tugler defensive rebound | |||
1:22 | Akok Akok blocks Joseph Tugler's two point dunk | |||
1:20 | Akok Akok defensive rebound | |||
1:09 | Jamal Shead blocks Quinn Slazinski's three point jump shot | |||
1:07 | J'wan Roberts defensive rebound | |||
0:56 | Damian Dunn misses two point layup | |||
0:54 | RaeQuan Battle defensive rebound | |||
0:47 | RaeQuan Battle misses two point jump shot | |||
0:45 | Jamal Shead defensive rebound | |||
0:37 | +3 | LJ Cryer makes three point jump shot (Jamal Shead assists) | 21-48 | |
0:05 | Seth Wilson misses two point jump shot | |||
0:03 | Akok Akok offensive rebound | |||
0:03 | Damian Dunn personal foul (Akok Akok draws the foul) | |||
0:03 | +1 | Akok Akok makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 22-48 | |
0:03 | Akok Akok misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
0:03 | Joseph Tugler defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |