HOUSTON - Houston snapped a seven-game losing streak and posted its first Conference USA victory of the season by knocking off Saint Louis 72-59 this afternoon at Hofheinz Pavilion. The Billikens lost their fourth consecutive game and dropped their second straight game without head coach Brad Soderberg, who missed the game with the flu.
"We didn't make shots against their zone, and we did everything we could to create open shops," said assistant coach Anthony Beane, who ran the team again in Soderberg's absence. "We altered things in the second half to change it up, and we got shots. We just didn't make them."
The Billikens forged an early 18-10 lead and had control of the game throughout the first half despite 19 points from Cougars guard Andre Owens who drained all five of his three-point attempts. The Bills led 33-30 at the half when Owens' final bomb hit the front rim squarely, popped into the air and fell through the basket after the horn sounded.
Saint Louis still led 47-43 with 14:36 remaining after sophomore forward Izik Ohanan's tip-in. But the game unraveled shortly thereafter.
Houston forward Louis Truscott, who was slowed by foul trouble in the first half, collected 14 of his 17 points in the second half. His game-high 14 rebounds also led a Cougars surge on the glass. After trailing the Bills by one in rebounding at the half, UH finished the game out-boarding the Bills by six.
Saint Louis scored only two baskets in a 13-minute stretch that saw Houston go on a 21-4 run to turn the game into a rout. The Cougs took the lead for good on freshman guard Cedric Hensley's lay-up with 9:37 remaining. Billiken senior guard Marque Perry finally broke the string with back-to-back traditional three-point plays, but it was far too little too late.
"The object of the zone is to cut off penetration, and they got that accomplished in the second half," said Perry, who led the Bills with 16 points. "We didn't execute well enough against the zone or make enough shots."
Houston (3-10, 1-1) shot 54.2 percent from the field in the second half to finish at 46.8 percent for the game. The Cougs were 58.3 percent from three and 87.5 percent from the free throw line. Owens led all scorers with 28 points.
Saint Louis shot a wretched 27.8 percent in the second half to end at 35.8 percent from the floor. The Bills were only 5-of-26 for 19.2 percent from three. Ohanon was the only other Billiken in double figures with 14 points. Kenny Brown topped SLU rebounding chart with 10.
The Billikens (6-9, 0-4) return home for a date with C-USA National Division power Memphis on Sat., Jan. 25, for a 1:10 p.m. tip-off at Savvis Center.
