Houston basketball completely routed the Utah Utes by 34 points Wednesday evening inside the Fertitta Center with a final score of 70 -36.
Houston continues their win streak and has now won 11 straight games, which is the second-longest streak in the nation only behind Duke (12). The snowstorm in Houston clearly didn’t affect the Cougars, but Utah froze on offense with a season low 36 points, the fewest scored by the Utes in more than 13 years. This was also a season low in points allowed by Houston. The Cougars remain undefeated in the Big 12 and it is the first time the program has started conference play 7-0 since the 2021-22 season. Four starters had double digit scoring, including 13 points from graduate guard LJ Cryer and 11 from graduate forward J’Wan Roberts.
“They’re a fantastic team that can win it all,” Utah head coach Craig Smith said.
Houston got out to an early 20-5 lead seven minutes into the game and never looked back. UH continued to grow the lead right before the half with the bench of senior forward Ja’Vier Francis and a fastbreak dunk from graduate guard Mylik Wilson. The Cougars led by 24 at the half, 41-17 where they shot 51% from the field and 40% from three. Houston basketball further built on the lead that extended to 37 at 58-21. Freshman guard Mercy Miller got the opportunity to contribute toward the end.
Takeaway #1: Turnovers and steals galore for Houston basketball
It’s the same defensive mentality and performance every game for the Cougars. Houston always gets after their opponent, and against Utah, it was at the highest level. UH forced an incredible 26 turnovers and got 29 points out of them, which is a key facet of their offense. Not only that, Houston forced 19 steals, with almost every player getting one. Wilson had a career high five, Tugler had four, Roberts and Arceneaux each had three. Compare that to just three steals total for Utah. The Houston defense also had 11 blocks. It was overwhelming for a Utah offense that is used to putting up big offensive numbers.
Takeaway #2: No Emanuel Sharp, easy substitution
Junior guard Emanuel Sharp had a right ankle injury and was not able to play, but the depth of Houston basketball did not make this a problem. Sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux stepped right into the lineup that continued to perform. Arceneaux had 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a career and team high four blocks in a productive role.
“I didn’t know he wasn’t going to play till 1, so I said Terrance, you’re starting, Mercy, know what you’re doing and we just kept going,” head coach Kelvin Sampson said.
There was not a concern or worry for Sampson in this situation as everyone on the team knows their role.
Takeaway #3: Milos Uzan’s best performance as a Cougar
The junior point guard who transferred from Oklahoma continues to show his improvement in facilitating the offense and it has clearly been making a difference in Houston’s performance. Uzan had 14 points, which is a personal best at UH along with five assists and a steal with only one turnover.
“He had a really good game, he’s a kid we recruited, he’s just settling in and he’s figuring things out for their system,” Smith said.
This was the 12th game where he had one or fewer giveaways. Uzan started the game off with a couple of shots in the paint and hit a three in the second half that gave Houston their largest lead of the game.
“Coach and the staff encourage me to continue to stay aggressive. The more I’m aggressive, it opens up my passing abilities,” Uzan said. “I think I’ve taken a big leap here.”
Up next for Houston basketball (15-3, 7-0): at #12 Kansas (14-4, 5-2) – Jan.25 at 5 p.m. CST
Up next for Utah basketball (11-7, 3-4): vs Baylor (12-6, 4-3) – Jan.25 at 3:30 p.m. CST
[…] margin of victory of 20 points. They’ve won three games by 30 and most recently beat Utah 70-36 at home. They’ve had one close game though, at UCF, where a layup by J’Wan Roberts with […]