Houston Cougars Freshman Rises to Occasion Battling Arkansas Standout Freshman
In this story:
The Houston Cougars faced another tough non-conference test heading up north for the Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday afternoon, taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks, with the Coogs being up for the challenge.
Through big momentum swings and finding themselves in foul trouble early on, the Cougars came out with the big-time 94-85 victory over the Razorbacks. Houston found its biggest contribution from senior guard Emanuel Sharp, whose 22 points led the Coogs in scoring on the afternoon.
Not only did the Cougars get another big game from Sharp, but also once again were the beneficiaries of one of their talented freshmen continuing to impress, who had to battle all game long against a talented Razorbacks freshman.
Kingston Flemings and Darius Acuff Jr. Battle
Heading into the matchup against the Razorbacks, one of the most important players to watch for the Coogs was Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. The freshman headed into the matchup as the Razorbacks' leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range, along with six assists and three rebounds.
The Cougars also headed into the matchup with a talented freshman of their own in guard Kingston Flemings, as Houston's second leading scorer, averaging nearly 15 points per game, about five assists, three rebounds, and two steals a game.
And those freshmen's impact could not have been understated as they battled back and forth throughout the game on Saturday. With the two guards combining for 48 points, making 16 of their 30 field goal attempts, 12 rebounds, 11 rebounds, and four steals.
Acuff Jr. had a performance that was expected as he finished as the game's leading scorer with 27 points, shooting 60 percent from the field and 30 percent from the field, with seven assists, five rebounds, a block, and an assist in 39 minutes of game time.
Flemings was more than up for the challenge on Saturday afternoon, matching Acuff with another big contribution. Flemings was the Cougars' second leading scorer in the ballgame with 21 points, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, with six rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 36 minutes.
The guard ramped it up in the second half with 12 points, shooting close to 40 percent from the field, being a perfect six of six from the free throw line with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal en route to closing out the Razorbacks.
The freshman's 21 points was Flemings' fourth twenty-point performance of the season as he was just a few points from his career high of 25 points, which came against the Tennessee Volunteers early in the season.
