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Houston forward J’Wan Roberts has another big game, keeps adding to his career totals

Roberts leads Cougars with 20 points as Houston survives Colorado for 10th straight road victory
Buck Ringgold|
Houston graduate forward J'Wan Roberts (right)
Houston graduate forward J'Wan Roberts (right) | Isaiah J. Downing/Imagn Images

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Houston Cougars

Houston has been undefeated this season when graduate forward J’Wan Roberts scores 20 or more points.

That was the case again on Saturday afternoon, as Roberts had exactly 20 to help the Cougars navigate an upset-minded Colorado squad. Houston, which was ranked No. 5 in both the Associated Press and USA Today coaches’ rankings, fended off the Buffaloes, 69-59, in Boulder.

What Kelvin Sampson said about Colorado team still seeking first Big 12 win

And the steady play and leadership from Roberts was a big reason why. He went 9-of-11 from the field and also scored five straight points late during a pivotal 13-4 run after Colorado closed to within two, 54-52, with more than five minutes left.

“We know going into these games, especially on the road, it’s not going to be easy,” Roberts said following Saturday’s win. “And I always try and tell the guys, every time you play a road game and you look into the crowd, sometimes there’s a small portion of University of Houston fans, so I try to let them know, we all we got, and we’ve got to stay together because anybody can be beat in the Big 12.

“And just going into the games, just knowing that when we go through adversity, all it does is bring us closer. So, having a great coaching staff that just stays in our ear and let us know that we’ve got a chance to win any ballgame that we play in, and just having confidence in us and knowing that we’ll go out and execute and win.”

Roberts continued to add to his impressive list of accolades in a Houston uniform. He is the program’s all-time winningest player, now a part of 135 Cougar victories, and has played in more games as a Cougar than anyone else, with his 158th game in the books Saturday.

Houston is also 5-0 this season and 9-1 in Roberts’ career when he scores at least 20 points.

In his latest scoring barrage, Roberts moved past five former Houston players to become 33rd all-time in Houston career history with 1,142 points. One of the players he passed was Don Chaney, who had his number retired by the school last week.

Roberts also has 958 career rebounds, grabbing four on Saturday. If he can get to 1,000 career rebounds, he can be just the fourth player in school history to achieve 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. The other three? Legendary centers Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Greg Anderson.

Colorado coach Tad Boyle pointed out Roberts’ play was definitely a difference-maker in Houston being able to avoid being the Buffaloes’ first Big 12 victim since returning to the conference over the offseason.

“The difference in this game was two things; it was the rebounding differential, and they obviously outscored us 18-7 on second-chance points,” Boyle said. “And then the second thing is, J’Wan Roberts made plays down the stretch for them.

“He really put them on his back and made some tough shots. The defense was there, but that’s what really, really good players do. To me, he’s an All-Conference player and he played like it down the stretch.”

Roberts then did one more thing before Saturday’s postgame press conference ended. He proceeded to wrap up his coach, Kelvin Sampson, in a big bear hug.

The win at Colorado improved Houston to 6-0 on the road this season. It was also the Cougars’ 10th consecutive road victory, the longest active streak in the nation.

Another active streak will hit a milestone come Monday, as Houston will be nationally ranked for the 100th consecutive week. The Cougars may very well move up in the rankings, with No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Duke both suffering defeats on Saturday.

Kelvin Sampson has hilarious response to Florida winning at No. 1 Auburn

The Cougars (19-4, 11-1) return home Monday night for a nationally televised contest against Baylor.

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Buck Ringgold
BUCK RINGGOLD

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