Men's Basketball Comes up Short at Houston, 79-66

Saturday, January 28

Houston, Texas

10:00 p.m.

Temple University

11-11, 2-7

Houston

15-7, 6-4

Temple

Houston

Photo by: Rich Schmitt

Men's Basketball Comes up Short at Houston, 79-66

1.29.17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

HOUSTON - Houston's Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson combined for 48 points to lead the Cougars (15-7, 6-4) to a 79-66 win over Temple in a late game at Hofheinz Arena. The game was often closer than the final score would indicate, but Temple (11-11, 2-7) trailed for all of the second half and much of the first.

Daniel Dingle scored the Owls' 10th three-pointer of the game with 1:51 remaining to make it a seven-point game, 73-66, but Houston went 6-of-6 at the free throw line to close out the victory. Dingle finished with 15 points, while Obi Enechionyia led Temple with 16 points and seven rebounds. Also scoring in double figures was Quinton Rose who came off the bench for 11 points, three assists and two steals.

Gray hit 9-of-9 free throws and 3-of-4 three-pointers on his way to a game-high 28 points, while Dotson registered a double-double for Houston with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Both teams were slow to get going offensively in the first half, but it would not be evident by halftime as the Cougars shot 50 percent from the field with the Owls not too far behind at 42 percent.

The pace began to pick up with a 10-0 Houston run that gave the Cougars a 16-9 lead just past the 12-minute mark. Rose ended the drought for Temple with a jumper that began a 7-0 run, tying the game at 16-16 at the midway point of the half.

Houston jumped back ahead and then held a two- to three-possession lead the rest of the way. Shizz Alston, Jr. hit a long range shot that pulled Temple within five, 36-31 with 3:14 remaining, but Houston closed on a 7-2 run for a 10-point, 43-33 lead at the break.

Gray led all scorers with 15 points at halftime, while Enechionya and Rose led the Owls with nine points apiece.

Houston looked to be in command of the game after an 8-2 opening run in the second half gave the Cougars a 16-point, 51-35 advantage, but the Owls refused to go away.

An 8-0 Temple run turned into a 17-4 run thanks to five points apiece from Alani Moore II and Enechionyia. Just six and a half minutes after being down by 16, the Owls made it a three-point game, 55-52 on a Moore layup with 11:16 remaining.

Unable to get the tying bucket, the Owls instead suffered a scoring drought over three minutes long as Houston got its lead back to double digits. Temple made another push and was able to come within six on two occasions down the final stretch, but could get no closer.

Foul trouble was costly for Temple for much of the game, as three players finished with four fouls and two others finished with three. For the game, Houston made 18-of-21 free throws while the Owls were just 4-of-6.

Temple will stay on the road for its next game, an 8 p.m. (ET) contest at Tulane on Tuesday, Jan. 31 (ESPNews / 1210 AM WPHT).