FORT WORTH, Texas – Fresh from a dominant dwelling win, the University of Houston’s senior males’s basketball applications make their manner north on Interstate 45 for the second sport of The Battleground 2K22 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. -/rv Saint Mary’s (California ) to satisfy at Dickies Arena.
The Cougars, winners of their first seven video games to open the season, enter this weekend’s sport after a formidable 100-52 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday on the Fertitta Center.
Senior Guard and Preseason All-American Markus Sasser led 5 Cougars in double digits with 25 factors and 7 3-pointers. The Dallas native wants simply 19 factors to complete fiftiethth Houston profession 1,000 level scorer and leads the Cougars in 2022-23 with 18.1 factors per sport.
Junior Point Guard Jamal Shead gave out a season-high 11 assists and added 12 factors for his first double-double of the season. The Manor, Texas native has surpassed 300 assists in his profession with the Cougars and is tied on factors with 21St in Houston historical past with Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
Shead leads the Cougars and the American Athletic Conference with 6.1 assists per sport and ranks among the many league leaders with an assist-turnover ratio of three.3.
freshman ahead Jarace Walker tied with the second striker Yes’Four Francis for excessive honors with eight rebounds in opposition to the Spartans. Walker leads the Cougars with 7.0 rebounds per sport, together with 4.4 blocks per battle, whereas Francis leads the workforce with 1.9 blocks per sport.
Saturday’s sport will likely be a part of a doubleheader the place Texas A&M meets Boise State within the first sport at 6:00 p.m.
THE BATTLEFIELD 2K22 TICKETS
Fans can nonetheless buy tickets for The Battleground 2K22 by dropping by Ticketmaster.com and observe the suitable hyperlinks or by clicking right here.
Home away from dwelling
• Houston has loved large success at Dickies Arena in its quick historical past on the facility.
• Prior to Saturday’s sport, the Cougars have received eight straight video games at Dickies Arena because the 2020-21 season.
• Saturday’s sport marks the third straight season that the Cougars will play at Dickies Arena.
• The streak started with a 64-53 win over #14/13 Texas Tech throughout the Southwest Showcase on November 29, 2020. From there, the workforce clinched their first American Athletic Conference Championship title with three straight wins over Tulane ( 77-52, March 12, 2021); Memphis (76–74, March 13, 2021) and Cincinnati (91–54, March 14, 2021).
• In 2021-22, the Cougars celebrated a 72-61 win over Oklahoma State on December 18, 2021.
• Houston then retained his American Athletic Conference Championship title with victories over Cincinnati (71-53, March 11, 2022); Tulane (86-66, March 12, 2022) and Memphis (71-53, March 13, 2022).
TURN ON
• Fans can watch Saturday’s sport ESPN2 with Kevin Brown (play-by-play) and Jon Crispin (analyst) main the motion.
• Fans can proceed listening to Saturday’s sport 950 a.m. KPRC or The Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Houston Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analyst) calling the motion. The pregame present begins at 8:15 p.m
• Fans can observe reside stats by visiting them StatBroadcast.com and observe the suitable hyperlinks or by clicking right here.
2022-23 BUY TICKETS
Fans should buy single-game tickets to the Cougars’ 18 regular-season dwelling video games on the Fertitta Center. Supplies are restricted and followers are inspired to purchase quickly earlier than they run out.
To buy single sport tickets, followers could name the Athletics Ticket Office at 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) throughout common enterprise hours or click on right here At any time.
For the third straight 12 months, the Cougars offered out season tickets to dwelling video games on the Fertitta Center.
Fans who had been unable to buy season tickets in 2022-23 are invited to affix the workforce’s 2023-24 waitlist because the Cougars put together to attend the Big 12 convention. Fans can be a part of the ready checklist for 2023-24 season tickets click on right here.
ABOUT SAINT MARY’S (California)
• Saint Mary’s (California) deliver a 6-2 file into Saturday’s 2022/23 sport. The Gaels are 1-1 in impartial and non-home video games this season.
• After successful their first six video games of the season opener, the Gaels have misplaced their final two video games, together with a 69-65 setback at dwelling to New Mexico on Wednesday night time of their most up-to-date motion.
• Against New Mexico, senior guard Alex Ducas led all gamers with 25 factors because of 7-of-10 photographs from the sphere and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Junior middle Mitchell Saxen added 11 factors, with team-bests 9 rebounds and 5 steals. Freshman guard Aidan Mahaney got here off the bench and had 11 factors with two rebounds and an help.
• This season, Ducas and Saxen are tied on the prime of the workforce with 14.5 factors per sport, with Saxen additionally main the Gaels with 8.9 rebounds per sport. Mahaney sits third with 12.9 rebounds per sport, whereas fifth-year guard Logan Johnson averages 10.0 factors. 5.8 rebounds and a team-high 3.9 assists per sport.
• Head Coach Randy Bennett is in his twenty second season at Saint Mary’s (California) and as a university head coach.
• Bennett has a profession file of 486-202.
• Saturday’s sport marks the primary time in his profession that Bennett will face Houston or Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson.
• 1986 Graduated from UC San Diego.
SERIES STORY vs. SAINT MARY’S (California)
• Houston leads 2-1 in opposition to Saint Mary’s (California) within the collection that started on December 12, 1966.
• Saturday’s sport marks the primary time since December 13, 1996 that the 2 colleges have performed males’s basketball.
• The Cougars received their first two video games of the season, however Saint Mary’s (California) can boast of latest success after successful 72-65 on the BYU Cougar Classic on December 13, 1996 in Provo, Utah.
• on the impartial location: Saint Mary’s (California) leads the collection 1-0 over Houston in video games performed at impartial grounds.
• Last assembly at a impartial venue, Saint Mary’s (California) received 72-65 on December 13, 1996 throughout the BYU Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKING
For the primary time since March 1983, the Cougars are ranked No. 1 in each nationwide polls launched Monday
The Cougars held 45 first-place votes and 1,534 factors to guide the Associated Press ballot, and garnered 23 first-place votes en path to 782 factors for the highest spot within the USA TODAY sports activities Coach Survey.
Houston has not been ranked this excessive nationally because it was No. 1 within the remaining polls of the 1982-83 season (AP March 14, 1983; Coaches, March 15, 1983).
The 2022-23 Cougars turned the third workforce at school historical past to complete on the #1 spot throughout the season. They joined the 1967-68 and 1982-83 groups.
As of Monday’s rating, Houston has spent a complete of 12 weeks at No. 1 within the AP ballot.
This was additionally the primary time Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has led a No. 1 workforce throughout his award-winning profession.
With Monday’s rating, the Cougars prolonged their college file with their forty ninth consecutive week within the AP Top 25. The earlier mark was 35 consecutive weeks within the 1967-1969 ballot. The January 13, 2020 ballot was the final time Houston didn’t seem within the AP Top 25.
Houston has appeared within the Coaches ballot for 41 consecutive weeks, courting again to March 2, 2020.
NEXT
• After Saturday’s sport, the Cougars return to the Fertitta Center for three straight dwelling video games. • The homestand begins Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in opposition to North Florida (ESPN+) and continues on December 10 at 2:00 p.m. in opposition to #11/14 Alabama (ABC) earlier than returning on December 13 at 7:00 p.m vs North Carolina A&T (ESPN+).
• All Houston Men’s Basketball video games could be heard on 950 AM KPRC.
SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Connect Houston risea $150 million fundraiser for Houston Athletics devoted to the championship’s success on the Big 12 Conference.
Everyone Houston rise Post prepares our cougars to compete and win once we start Big 12 competitors in July 2023. click on right here rise up and be counted.
Join the 50-50 CLUB
Fans are invited to affix the 50-50 Club to assist Houston Men’s Basketball. 50-50 Club Members assist fund program wants and improve the expertise for our pupil athletes.
Fans who be a part of the 50-50 Club will obtain Jordan Brand embroidered workforce attire, invites to unique occasions, common program updates and extra.
For extra info or to register, followers can go to uhcougars.com/5050club or click on right here. To be a part of the 50-50 Club, followers can name Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (4687).
STAY IN CONTACT
Fans can get updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and click on to seek out out about information and details about the workforce HOW on the workforce’s Facebook web page UHCougarMBK or go to the workforce’s Instagram web page at UHCougarMBK.
