HOUSTON, TX- Fabian White Jr. led the No.14 Houston Cougars (25-4, 14-2 AAC) with a career-high 28 points, and 10 rebounds in a 71-53 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats (17-13, 7-10 AAC).
White Jr. made his presence felt early and scored 20 out of Houston’s 38 points in the first half while shooting 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the field.
However, the rest of the Cougars struggled early getting the ball in the basket. In the first half, the Cougars, without White Jr, were shooting 5-of-16 (31.3%) from the field and 2-of-6 (33.3%) from deep.
They were more efficient in the second half and finished the game shooting 10-of-26 (38.4%) from the field.
Specifically, Josh Carlton, Kyler Edwards, and Taze Moore shined in the second half and the trio combined for 39 points.
The team as a whole finished the game shooting 23-of-54 (42.6%) from the field and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from the three-point line.
They also finished the game shooting 20-of-24 (83.3%) from the free-throw line.
The Cougars have now advanced to five-straight wins and have won back-to-back regular-season AAC titles.
In addition, they defeated the Bearcats five-straight times and haven’t lost to the Bearcats since February 1, 2020.
In that game, the Bearcats escaped with a 64-62 win over the Cougars. The Bearcats also haven’t won in Houston since January 7, 2017.
Second Half Trouble For Cincinnati
The Bearcats seemed like they were going to keep the game close. They were efficient in the first half, shooting 13-of-25 (52.0%) from the field and 5-of-11 (45.5%) from deep. They went cold in the second half and finished the game shooting 20-of-50 (40.0%) from the field and 8-of-27 (29.6%) from deep.
Plus, they shot poorly from the free-throw line, shooting 5-of-16 (31.3%) from the line.
They were also crushed on the defensive end. Houston opened up the second half with a 15-9 run, which gave Houston a 63-47 lead with 5:11 left in regulation. The Cougars held onto their double-digit lead throughout the rest of the game.
What made it worse for Cincinnati is that they allowed four Cougars to score in double-digits.
Mike Saunders and John Newman iii were the bright spots for the Bearcats as they were the only two players for Cincinnati to score in double-digits.
Saunders finished the game with 14 points off the bench while shooting 5-of-7 (71.4%) from the field and 2-of-3 (66.7%) from downtown. Newman iii followed with 11 points while shooting 4-of-8 (50.0%) from the field and 2-of-4 (50.0%) from deep.
Up Next
The No.14 Houston Cougars will host the Temple Owls on March 3, 7 PM EST.
The SMU Mustangs will host the Cincinnati Bearcats on March 3, 7 PM EST.
