Houston Cruises Past New Orleans In Weekend Matchup
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Houston basketball picked up a 99-57 victory over the New Orleans Privateers on Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Fertitta Center, in Houston, Texas.
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller got the chance to play in front of his dad, New Orleans assistant coach Percy Miller, and he made the most of his opportunity by scoring 15 points.
Like Miller, the Cougars are starting to gel more on both sides of the ball, and they continue to show flashes of their potential each and every game.
Houston vs New Orleans Recap
Houston’s offense had it all going on in Saturday’s game, as they scored a season-high 99 points.
Once again, it was Houston’s youth that led the team in scoring.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings led the way for Houston, scoring 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He also continues to show his worth on the defensive end as he tallied three steals in the game.
Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. got off to an efficient start, scoring 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting in just 17 minutes of play.
Houston’s bench combined for 46 points to add to the Cougars’ strong showing on offense.
Redshirt freshman forward Chase McCarty got his chance to show out today, and he took advantage of his opportunity.
He scored 15 points and made three three-pointers. He also showed improvement on the defensive side of the ball by recording a block and six rebounds.
Senior guard Ramon Walker Jr. also continues to take on a larger role coming off of the bench, and he scored eight points in just 12 minutes, including two three-pointers.
With the absence of senior forward Khalifa Sakho with an injury, junior Cedric Lath played a season-high 17 minutes.
After scoring his first basketball of the season last game, he followed up that performance by making both of his field goals for a total of four points.
Houston’s team has grown exponentially from the start of the season, and they continue to improve every game.
This is one of coach Kelvin Sampson’s deepest teams by far, and they have the potential to be a threat in the NCAA Tournament when March rolls around.
Next Up
With the win, the Cougars improve to 10-1 on the season and they will have yet another challenge next weekend.
Houston will face No. 17 Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 20, at 4:30 p.m., in the Never Forget Tribute Classic, at the Prudential Center, in Newark, N.J.
Ashton Grissom is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a senior at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Media Production with a minor in Marketing and Spanish. He also works for two student organizations: The Cougar and CoogTV. You can find Grissom on his Instagram (@ashtonagrissom8) or Twitter (@ashtongrissom8).