Field Level Media
Jan 15, 2022
Kyler Edwards scored a game-high 29 points and 11th-ranked Houston survived a late charge from Tulsa to claim a 66-64 road victory on Saturday.
Edwards ignited a 10-0 run with a contested 3-pointer late in the shot clock as the Cougars (15-2, 4-0 American) ultimately extended to a 64-52 lead.
But Sam Griffin sank three consecutive 3-pointers for the Golden Hurricane (6-9, 0-4) in the waning moments, forcing Houston to survive two last-second shots in order to extend its winning streak to seven games.
Edwards finished 7 of 15 from behind the arc. Reggie Chaney added 10 points for Houston.
Jeriah Horne and Darien Jackson were integral in helping Tulsa shave a 17-point halftime deficit to 50-49 on a Horne 3-pointer with 10:59 remaining.
Tulsa opened the half with a 12-3 run that included a pair of Horne 3-pointers, and when Jackson converted a driving layup at the 12:23 mark, the Golden Hurricane exceeded their first-half scoring output in closing to within three.
Horne scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half. Griffin finished with 10 points and Jackson added six points, three rebounds and four assists. Tulsa shot 57.1 percent in the second half.
Already stretched thin by the losses of guards Tramon Mark and Marcus Sasser to season-ending injuries, Houston lost guard Jamal Shead to a right ankle injury at the 15:24 mark of the first half.
Edwards immediately assumed the responsibility offensively, drilling back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a 10-0 run that helped the Cougars push to a 17-5 lead.
Tulsa cut that deficit in half as the Cougars endured a mini shooting slump, but Josh Carlton delivered a pair of blocks to keep the Houston defense anchored while Edwards maintained his hot hand. He completed a four-point play with 5:13 left in the half to help Houston to a 26-14 lead.
He then nailed a late 3-pointer as part of a closing flourish that included a Taze Moore steal and buzzer-beating 3-pointer that enabled the Cougars to take a 38-21 lead into intermission.
--Field Level Media