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UCF Upends Cougars, 66-56, as Cougars Fall To 0-2 In C-USA
Jan. 14, 2006
Houston - The University of Houston men's basketball team dropped a 66-56 decision on Saturday night in its Conference USA home opener in front of 4,224 fans at Hofheinz Pavilion. "We are really struggling right now," Houston head coach Tom Penders said. "We're working our butts off in practice, it's just not translating on the floor." "It's important for us to stay positive and keep working hard," Penders continued. "You can't hang your head when things go bad. This is when you have to claw back. We're going forward from here, not backwards." Ramon Dyer paced the Cougars with 18 points, 13 of them in the opening stanza, to go along with team-bests of seven rebounds and six steals, while Brian Latham chipped in 11 points in the losing effort. UCF was headlined by the inside play of Anthony Williams, who poured in a career-best 25 points hitting 10-of-14 from the field. Williams also registered nine rebounds and a game-high five blocked shots. Justin Rose added a double-double, tallying 11 points and 14 rebounds and Troy Lindbeck netted 11 points for the Golden Knights. "UCF played well, give credit to them," head coach Tom Penders said. "They came out wanting to slow down the game, and they really controlled the tempo for 40 minutes." Houston (9-5, 0-2 C-USA) and UCF (7-7, 1-1 C-USA) were neck and neck for the opening ten minutes of the first half. Latham hit his first of three three-pointers to draw the Cougars within 16-15 at the 10:58 mark. The Golden Knights responded 9-2 spurt caped by a Lindbeck triple gaining a 25-17 advantage. Houston scored six consecutive points to cut the deficit down to 25-23, but UCF seized control of the contest, scoring on four consecutive possessions and closed out the half with a 36-29 lead at the intermission.
UCF extended its lead to a 56-45 with 9:46 to go in the game when Justin Rose hit Marcus Johnson off a screen and roll for a 13-foot jumper on the right elbow. Houston charged back once again turning out the defensive intensity with three steals. Lanny Smith scored a lay-up off a steal, and then hit Latham for a trifecta at the top of the key. Oliver Lafayatte stole the ball from Mike O'Donnell, and made a fabulous outlet pass to Lamar Roberson who was fouled by Justin Rose. Roberson knocked down a pair of free throws to pull the Coogs within 56-52 with 5:38 on the clock. That was as close as Houston would get as the Golden Knights would score 10 of the final 14 points for its first C-USA win, 66-56. "When things go bad, you need to find leadership within the club," Penders said. "We're looking for that right now and for some players to step up." The Cougars return to the hardwood against Southern Miss. Tipoff against the Golden Eagles is slated for 7pm Tuesday night at Hofheinz Pavilion. |
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