Field Level Media
Nov 14, 2022
Tramon Mark had 23 points and Marcus Sasser added 19 as No. 3 Houston cruised to an 83-45 victory over visiting Oral Roberts on Monday.
Mark shot 8 of 12 from the field to go along with four rebounds, while Sasser went 7 of 16 from the floor, including 2-for-6 from 3-point range, and grabbed seven rebounds.
Ja'Vier Francis recorded 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds while Terrance Arceneaux had 14 points and five rebounds for the Cougars (3-0).
Houston, which led by as many as 39 points in the second half, shot 30 of 58 (51.7 percent) from the field, including 6 of 17 (35.3 percent) from beyond the arc. The Cougars outrebounded the Eagles 52-30 and converted 11 turnovers into 16 points.
DeShang Weaver had 12 points and five rebounds for Oral Roberts (1-2), while Connor Vanover scored all of his 11 points in the first half.
Max Abmas, the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, was held to three points on 1-for-13 shooting from the field, including 1-for-9 from beyond the arc. He also had four assists.
Oral Roberts shot 14 of 62 (22.6 percent) from the field, including 8 of 38 (21.1 percent) from deep.
The Golden Eagles had one field goal in the final 12 minutes of the second half, missing 17 shots in that time.
Mark and Sasser led Houston's domination from the opening tip, as the Cougars jumped out to a 29-8 lead following Mark's layup with 9:39 left in the first half.
Mark scored 19 points on 6-for-9 shooting before the break while Sasser added 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field, including going 2 of 3 from distance.
The Cougars led 51-24 at halftime after shooting a blistering 18 of 32 (56.3 percent) from the field and 4 of 10 (40 percent) from 3-point range. Houston outrebounded Oral Roberts 28-12 before intermission.
Houston suffocated Oral Roberts, forcing the Eagles to go 7 of 31 (22.6 percent) in the first half, including 4 of 20 (20 percent) from beyond the arc.
Vanover's 11 points accounted for nearly half of his team's scoring in the first 20 minutes.
--Field Level Media