Field Level Media
Jan 12, 2019
Corey Davis Jr. scored 20 points, and Armoni Brooks chipped in 14 as the 17th-ranked Houston Cougars turned a second-half surge from behind the 3-point arc into a 79-70 victory over the Wichita State Shockers in American Athletic Conference play on Saturday in Houston.
Following a miserable perimeter shooting display before the halftime break, the Cougars (16-1, 3-1) converted 7 of 14 3-pointers in the second half to extend their home winning streak to 29 consecutive games. Davis and Brooks each finished 4 of 11 from deep, playing central roles as the Cougars erased a five-point halftime deficit with a string of 3-pointers down the stretch.
Davis and Brooks combined for three 3-pointers early in the second half before doing the same over a 90-second span that began just outside the nine-minute mark, with Davis' 3 extending the Houston lead to 66-57.
Freshman center Brison Gresham delivered the knockout blow inside the final four minutes by converting a second-chance basket before adding a dunk 36 seconds later.
DeJon Jarreau scored 13 points off the bench while Fabian White Jr. scored nine of his 12 points in the first half for Houston.
Markis McDuffie paced the Shockers (7-8, 0-3) with 22 points while Samajae Haynes-Jones added 14. The remaining Shockers combined to shoot 9 of 24 (37.5 percent) as Wichita State suffered a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time since January 2009.
The Shockers secured a 38-33 halftime lead by besting Houston in the areas it normally excels.
Wichita State didn't shoot particularly well, but the Shockers did convert 5 of 12 3-pointers, including three during a 15-2 run that secured a 27-19 lead. Jaime Echenique, Haynes-Jones and McDuffie all delivered 3s during a rally that enabled the Shockers to erase a 17-12 deficit.
That run allowed Wichita State to secure a lead it maintained until the intermission. The Shockers also closed the half with plus-1 advantages in rebounding and shot attempts, and kept a handle on the turnovers, with the Cougars guilty of eight turnovers compared to the Shockers' six. McDuffie and Haynes-Jones paced Wichita State with nine points apiece.
Brooks, meanwhile, shot 1 of 6 overall and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. The Cougars shot a paltry 2 of 11 from deep in the first half but reversed their fortunes following the break.
--Field Level Media