No. 5 Houston Bounces Back With Dominant Win Over Colorado
In this story:
Houston basketball cruised to a 102-62 victory over the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday afternoon, inside the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars’ defense was too much for Colorado, and the win snapped Houston’s three-game losing streak.
With the victory, Houston improves to 24-5 on the season and 12-4 in Big 12 Conference play. Next up, Houston will face Baylor on Wednesday, March 4, at 8 p.m., inside the Fertitta Center.
Houston vs Colorado Game Recap
Houston’s defense was the story of the game, forcing 15 turnovers which led to 21 points for the Cougars.
After losing three tough games, the Cougars went back to doing what they do best by playing elite defense, and that will be much needed heading into March.
Senior guard Milos Uzan ran the show offensively, tying his season-high with 26 points.
This was the first game since the win over Syracuse on Nov. 24 where Uzan scored 20 or more points, and his ability to take over games on the offensive side will have to happen for Houston to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Joseph Tugler followed in scoring with 14 points, and he was much more aggressive on the offensive end.
With the lack of interior scoring this season, he had a much larger role in the paint today, taking pressure off Houston’s guards.
Freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. also made a big contribution offensively, finishing the game with 12 points on 75 percent shooting.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings played like a true point guard in today’s game, showing his growth in coach Kelvin Sampson’s system.
He finished the game with 11 points on 80 percent shooting. He also tacked on eight assists and six rebounds.
The bench production was most impressive today, contributing 29 points in the contest.
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller led the way with 10 points and seven rebounds in his 21 minutes of play, and he has earned himself a more significant role on this team going forward.
Freshman guard Chase McCarty also made a splash, finishing the game with 10 points, and he made two three-pointers.
Senior forward Kalifa Sakho was the last player to contribute off the bench, and he finished the game with a season-high nine points in his 15 minutes.
This was the first time since 2005 where the Cougars had seven players finish with 10 or more points.
The victory today was a total team effort, and Houston’s depth is the strong suit of this team.
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).