The Houston Cougars have a golden opportunity ahead of them on Wednesday night.
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies will be in the Fertitta Center, and Houston gets a chance to move to 3-0 on the season. The newly No. 1 team gets a chance to defend its title for the first time against a program that stole the heart of America two Marches ago.
As the Cougars and Golden Grizzlies face off Wednesday night, follow along below for live updates.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies forward Isaac Garrett (32) controls the ball against Purdue Boilermakers forward Liam Murphy (5) during the second half at / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Houston fans may remember Oakland from the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, where the team had somewhat of a Cinderella run, making it to the Round of 32 after defeating the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats in the first round.
Now two seasons removed from that run, they will look to make another tournament appearance at the end of the year. After starting the year 0-2, the Golden Grizzlies will need a statement win to get on track, and stealing a game from the No. 1 team in the nation at home will do wonders for team morale.
The Cougars needed a second wind in the second half to overcome Towson their last time out, but some roadblocks should be expected with a team this young, coach Kelvin Sampson said after the team’s first game.
“I think all the experience right now, good or bad, is good; it’s important for them to make mistakes,” Sampson said. “Basketball is a very imperfect game, a lot of people think you should be perfect…but we’re not perfect. It’s just about getting better, that’s the focus, I don’t chase perfection, I chase progress, progress is what we’re looking for.”
Houston has an impressive corps of young talent at its disposal, and Chris Cenac Jr. leads the pack. Expect the young forward to make a splash against Oakland.
“He’s probably been our most consistent rebounder,” Sampson said. “It’s the other areas that he is trying to get comfortable with and playing with new teammates, new system, all of that, but his rebounding has certainly been a bright spot.”
Another freshman that has been impressive for the Coogs has been Kingston Flemings, a guard that has averaged 14 points, two rebounds and 2.5 assists, and looks ready for big-time college basketball.
As the action unfolds, check back here for updates every four minutes of play.
First Half:
16:00:
Houston jumps out to an early 12-4 lead. Two 3-pointers fall for the Coogs and Flemings gets going early with a jumper from the paint and a statement dunk.
12:00:
Emanuel Sharp bangs home another pair of 3-pointers, on top of a dunk from Kalifa Sakho. Coogs lead 21-8.
8:00:
Houston comes up with a couple of massive defensive stops but so do the Golden Grizzlies. Houston leads 23-10.
4:00:
Houston goes on a 10-0 run with 3-pointers raining down yet again. Houston leads 33-12.
0:00:
Oakland tried its best to cut the Houston lead down, but the Coogs, with help from Mercy Miller and Sharp, extend their lead to 22. Halftime score: Houston: 39, Oakland: 17.
