University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns
Houston
Houston Comes Back, Steals 78-65 Win
11/24/2010 2:40:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Two second half runs and foul trouble erased a double-digit lead as Houston was able to come back and defeat Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns, 75-65, at Hofheinz Pavilion on Tuesday night.
With the loss, UL falls to 1-4 while Houston now sits at 4-1 this season.
A 10-4 run by Houston to open the second half brought the Cougars to within seven points before La'Ryan Gary buried a trey with 16:12 showing.
But another 11-2 run gave Houston the lead 49-48 at the 11:48 mark.
The Cougars looked to run away from the Cajuns until a much-needed three-pointer from Daigle evened the game at 51-51.
Over the next six minutes UL led by as much as five but it was unable to pull away from the Cougars.
A three-pointer by the Cougars swung the score back in their favor, 67-65, with 3:02 remaining in the game and gave them a lead they would not relinquish.
The Cajuns struggled down the stretch, going 0-for-7 from the floor, including a five-minute span without a field goal to end the game.
The game opened with both teams trading baskets during the first few minutes. With the Cajuns leading 8-6, UL went on to hold Houston scoreless for nearly six minutes to build a 14-6 lead by the 10:03 mark.
The only points for Houston would come on a pair of free throws as the Cajuns' lead grew to 19-8 with 7:42 left. UL's defense held Houston without a field goal over a nine-minute span.
UL's lead grew to as much as 12 points, 25-13, before Houston began to chip away at the lead from the charity stripe. But a three-point bucket by Randell Daigle with 3:54 left in the half widened the gap back to double digits, 28-18.
The lead would remain in double figures as the Cajuns took a 38-26 lead into the break.
The Cajuns played smart in the first half, limiting themselves to just four turnovers. The Cougars, however, committed 11 turnovers which turned into 10 points for UL.
Josh Brown led UL with 16 points and nine rebounds while Gary had 13 points of his own. Bureau chipped in 10 before fouling along with two other Cajuns.
As a team, UL shot 36.4 percent (24-66) on the night, compared to Houston's 48.9 percent. The Cougars shot well in the second half, knocking down 16 of their 27 field goals (59.3).
The Cajuns will return to action Dec. 1 in Lake Charles with a game against in-state foe, McNeese State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT.
