Houston basketball (3-1) had an easy victory over the Hofstra Pride (4-2) by 36 points Friday night at Fertitta Center.
Houston led 7-6 four minutes into the game but went on a 20-4 run for a controlling 17-point lead. The Cougars had a 48-18 halftime lead and their defense suffocated Hofstra, as the Pride did not score a field goal for a seven minute stretch. Junior guard Emmanuel Sharp scored 16 points and shot a perfect 5/5 from three. Houston won their 25th straight home game, which is the longest streak in the country.
Takeaway #1: Joseph Tugler
The sophomore forward had a career-high 17 points and cashed in two impressive threes. It was a huge step forward for Tugler, who was out for the second half of the season last year with a broken foot. The 6’8 forward made his presence felt defensively but got it rolling on the other side of the floor in this matchup with four assists and a perfect 6/6 from the field. Tugler also scored eight points during the important 17-point run in the first half.
“When we’re rotating Javier, Jojo and J’Wan, we’re a completely different team,” said coach Kelvin Sampson. Tugler mentioned how he has learned everything from junior forward Ja’Vier Francis and graduate forward J’Wan Roberts.
Takeaway #2: Bench consistency
One of Houston’s strengths early on has been the bench, and it continued in this game as the unit scored 44 points, including 29 in the first half. The highlight was Tugler, but the effort was also highlighted by 12 points and four steals from sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux, six points from graduate guard Mylik Wilson and a four-point, nine rebounds, two assists game from freshman guard Mercy Miller. While the Cougars have dominated in their three wins, this level of contribution has been nice to see.
Takeaway #3: Hofstra’s offensive struggles
The Pride were not able to figure out Houston’s defensive intensity, as they only shot 31% from the field overall. Sampson mentioned their three guards as their players to look out for, and how they will play their way no matter what. Hofstra attempted a lot of threes, but only made 8 of their 25 attempts. The Pride also had 15 turnovers, which is a typical UH defensive performance.
Next up for Houston (3-1): vs. Alabama (4-1) – Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. EST
Next up for Hofstra (4-2): vs. Rice (5-1) – Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. EST