(Updated: RECASTS 1st graph since Thomas started and did not come off the bench)
Houston 54, Rice 52: TaShawnThomas scored a game-high 16 points â??including six in the final 2:11 â?? to lead the Cougars to a narrowwin over their cross-town rival.
Brandon Morris added 10 pointsfor Houston (8-5), which won despite shooting 2-of-7 from 3-pointrange and missing 14 free throws. Thomas also grabbed 10 rebounds,blocked three shots and recorded two steals in the contest.
Austin Ramljak led Rice (5-6)with 15 points, all on 3-pointers, and Sean Obi and Seth Gearharteach scored nine points. Gearhart had a team-best nine boards and Obiadded seven as the Owls won the rebound battle, 40-36.
Rice took the early lead in thegame, upping its advantage to as much as 10 eight minutes into thegame. Houston responded with an 11-0 run to take back the lead, andneither team led by more than two the rest of the half, with theCougars settling for a two-point lead at the break.
Houston was up for much of thesecond half, leading by as many as nine, but Rice finally took backthe lead on Obi’s layup with 2:56 to play. The Cougars responded,though, scoring six straight â?? four by Thomas â?? to take the leadfor good.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Rice had itstroubles shooting, finishing 30.5 percent from the field, including10-of-26 from 3-point range. â? Cougars freshman F Danrad Knowleshad scored 37 points on 13-of-18 shooting in his previous twooutings, but was 0-for-5 with two points against the Owls. â? Houston upped its advantage in the all-time series to 61-18.
