Can the Houston Cougars Maintain Their Momentum at Moody Center?
The Houston Cougars, ranked 4th nationally, delivered a commanding performance against the unranked Kansas State Wildcats with a final score of 74-52. The Cougars' season record now stands impressively at 17-2, while the Wildcats fall to a more modest 10-9.
In front of their home crowd at Fertitta Center, the Houston Cougars showcased why they are one of the top teams in college basketball. From tip-off to final buzzer, they dominated play on both ends of the court. The first half was particularly explosive for the Cougars as they racked up 41 points to Kansas State's 21. They continued their robust play into the second half adding another 33 points to seal their victory.
The defensive prowess displayed by Houston was nothing short of remarkable. Eleven steals and three blocks kept Kansas State on their heels throughout the game. The Wildcats struggled to find rhythm and were limited to just four fast break points and seven second chance points due to Houston's stifling defense.
Offensively, Houston was equally impressive with balanced scoring across two halves and contributions from multiple players. They shot an overall field goal percentage of forty percent which included making seven three-pointers out of twenty-one attempts – matching Kansas State's three-point shooting rate but outscoring them from beyond the arc due to higher volume shooting.
Houston also capitalized on turnovers; scoring twenty-five points off eighteen Wildcats turnovers while only giving up eleven points from their own eight miscues – showcasing a strong assists-to-turnover ratio of 1.29 compared to Kansas State's meager ratio of 0.5.
The free throw line was also friendly territory for Houston as they made twenty-three out of thirty-four attempts (sixty-eight percent), whereas Kansas State managed just fifty-eight percent accuracy from their twelve free throw attempts.
Rebounding played a key role in this game with Houston grabbing thirty-eight rebounds including eleven offensive boards that led directly to fifteen second chance points – nearly double what Kansas State could muster in this category.
Looking ahead, fans can catch the next game for the University of Houston men’s basketball team when they visit Austin for an encounter with Texas Longhorns at Moody Center on January 29th at 8:00 PM Central Time broadcasted nationally on ESPN channel two hundred six.