Houston Basketball Bounces Back And Cruises Past Notre Dame
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Houston basketball defeated Notre Dame 66-56 on Wednesday afternoon, inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Cougars finished 2-1 in the Players Era Festival, and they got to face three solid teams, which will help them down the stretch.
Next up, UH prepares for the Houston Hoops Showdown, where they will take on the Florida State Seminoles at the Toyota Center at 7 p.m. in Houston, Texas.
Houston vs Notre Dame Recap
After a slow offensive game for senior guard Emanuel Sharp against No. 17 Tennessee, he started out fast as he scored 11 first-half points.
Sharp led Houston with 17 points and he added five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Senior guard Milos Uzan also helped lead the charge for Houston by scoring 11 points in the first half.
Uzan finished with 15 points, three assists and four rebounds, along with three made three-pointers in the game.
Although Houston’s leaders were outstanding, it was Houston’s depth that rallied them back to claim a 10-point victory
The Cougars were able to play 12 guys in the game, which will benefit them greatly as they inch closer to conference play.
Senior guard Ramon Walker Jr. was a spark off the bench, and he contributed nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a block, and he made the most of his opportunity.
Senior forward Kalifa Sakho was also a difference maker, and he showed he can be a valuable piece down low for the Cougars this season.
In 10 minutes of play, he scored six points and recorded a block, which helped Houston close out the victory.
Sophomore guard Mercy Miller also played well with limited minutes, recording four points, four rebounds, and forcing a turnover late in the game.
The freshmen had very little impact in the game, which is surprising because they have become vitally important to the team’s success.
Between the three true freshmen, they combined for just five points.
The key for Houston this season will be to get more production from posts in the paint, and they continue to find different ways to find a consistent offensive rhythm.
In all three games of the tournament, the Cougars had several long stretches where they didn't score, which allowed the opposing team to creep back into the game.
Nonetheless, it is only November, and head coach Kelvin Sampson has a roster loaded with talent, and the team will look much different when the NCAA Tournament rolls around in March.
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).