2 Key Takeaways From No. 7 Houston Cougars' Win Over New Orleans
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The No. 7 Houston Cougars capped off their three-game homestand with a 99-57 blowout win over the New Orleans Privateers on Saturday afternoon at Fertitta Center, in what was arguably their best offensive display of the season so far.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings, forward Chris Cenac Jr., sophomore guard Mercy Miller and redshirt freshman forward Chase McCarty all each posted 15-point performances in what coach Kelvin Sampson described as an "open" offense amounting for 66 possessions.
In all, 10 of 11 of Houston's logged players registered points as a result of these runaway game opportunities. In the assist column, senior guard Milos Uzan posted a season-high 10 assists en route to nearly recording a double-double, as his passing and off-ball value continues to stand firm.
With these factors and mind and a family reunion to remember, here are two key takeaways that made the win enlightening for Houston.
The Miller family function
For Miller, the Saturday contest was a standout spectacle on his calendar, knowing that family and friends would come to see him in numbers, but also with the prospect of being reunited with his father, rapper Master P, the president of operations, and an assistant coach for the Privateers.
"Just being able to see family gives you another burst of energy," Miller said. "But I'm trying to just keep building and just keep stacking the good days."
Those good days certainly continued stacking with a 15-point performance off the bench on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting over 21 minutes, a performance which many quietly anticipated, knowing the family implications.
Despite that domination, it doesn't take away from the early traction New Orleans has gained from Miller's father's executive stance with the program, to which he gave props to even in playful banter ahead of the matchup. Overall, family was what really mattered.
"I told him a couple of things, we were trash-talking a little bit," he said. "But we just kept it cordial and about family, and then we got out of here, and we competed."
Near perfect ball security and commanding turnover margin
By far, Houston played one of its two cleanest games in terms of ball security, even when not factoring in late bench minutes where the play is on a loose scale.
It took the Cougars 5:44 of game time to commit their first turnover, in which they finished with just six on the afternoon, while finishing with a dominant +15 margin on the mark, largely factoring into the multitude of scoring breaks.
It was certainly the best display by far at Fertitta Center and a mostly clean slate on the split to where confidence should set in a week ahead of its matchup with Arkansas at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Dec. 20.
Michael Carrara is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He attends the University of Houston, where he is a journalism major and a marketing minor. He is also a sports writer and reporter for the Daily Cougar, having covered baseball as an NCBWA member. You can find Michael on all major social media channels, including X on @michaelcoalec.