Houston downs West Virginia: Live updates, score of important Big 12 Conference game
A huge early-season Big 12 Conference test awaited Houston on Wednesday night.
But once again, the Cougars' ferocious defense and timely 3-point shooting helped carry them.
Three players scored in double figures as the Cougars extended their win streak to nine straight after a 70-54 win against what had been a surging West Virginia squad Wednesday night in Big 12 Conference action at the Fertitta Center.
The Cougars (13-3, 5-0) also won at home for the 32nd straight time, which currently leads the nation.
Houston had a 40-27 lead at halftime before West Virginia (12-4, 3-2) came out and scored the first eight points of the second half. The Mountaineers also got to within three, 51-48, with more than 12 minutes to go.
How to watch Houston basketball vs. West Virginia: TV, live stream, betting odds
But it was all Houston from there, as the Cougars reeled off 14 straight points and held West Virginia to just six points the rest of the way.
What Kelvin Sampson said prior to Houston's Big 12 home game against West Virginia
J'Wan Roberts, who scored his 1,000th career point in Saturday's win at Kansas State, had a season-high 22 points, making 10-of-13 shots from the field. LJ Cryer added 18 points and Emanuel Sharp had 14, with the two guards combining to make eight 3-pointers.
West Virginia got 16 points from Aman Hansberry, all in the second half. Javon Small, the senior guard who entered Wednesday's game as the Big 12's leading scorer, had 13 points, but had four of those points in the game's final 30-plus minutes.
With the win, Houston remains tied atop the Big 12 with Iowa State - which beat Kansas at home Wednesday - and Arizona - which bested Baylor at home on Tuesday.
Follow Houston Cougars on SI writer Buck Ringgold (@Bucks_Ballpark) for all of the live updates and scoring from the Fertitta Center.
Scroll down for live score and game updates from tipoff to the postgame. Refresh this page for the latest.
HOUSTON 70, WEST VIRGINIA 54 FINAL
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POSTGAME STATS AND ANALYSIS
- Houston forced 12 West Virginia turnovers, converting those into 25 points. The Cougars made seven turnovers, with the Mountaineers getting nine points off those miscues. Houston also had 24 points in the paint to West Virginia's 16.
- Houston shot 49 percent from the field (25-of-51) and was 42.3 percent from beyond the arc (11-of-26). West Virginia was held to 44.2 percent from the field (19-of-43) and 40.9 percent from 3-point range (9-of-22).
- West Virginia got 16 points from Aman Hansberry, all in the second half. Javon Small, the Big 12's leading scorer going in, had 13 points but did not score a single point after halftime.
- Three players in double figures for Houston in the Coogs' home win tonight. J'Wan Roberts had a season-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting. LJ Cryer added 18 points and made five 3's, and Emanuel Sharp scored 14, making three 3's.
- Make it nine straight victories and 32 straight wins at home for Houston.
SECOND HALF
- Looks like we'll still have a three-way tie at the top in the Big 12 between Houston, Iowa State and Arizona. Cyclones did their part tonight by beating Kansas at Hilton Coliseum.
- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Bounce pass by LJ Cryer from the top of the key goes directly to J'Wan Roberts, and he gets an easy slam. Coogs seem to be on their way to their 32nd straight home win, which is the nation's longest active streak. (Houston, 69-51 | 3:32, 2nd)
- Houston's Ja'Vier Francis appears to roll his left ankle and has now left the game. (Houston, 65-49 | 5:00, 2nd)
- WVU finally gets its first point in more than six minutes on a foul shot. (Houston, 65-49 | 6:00, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Houston now on an 14-0 run, as West Virginia now hasn't scored in more than five minutes. Then, Milos Uzan nails a 3. (Houston, 65-48 | 7:00, 2nd)
- West Virginia still scoreless in the past several minutes, and the Houston defense just forced a miss from the Big 12's top scorer, Javon Small. Small has 13 points but nine of those came in the game's early going. (Houston, 60-48 | 7:36, 2nd)
- Houston holding WVU scoreless for nearly five minutes, and just got the Mountaineers to commit a shot clock violation. (Houston, 59-48 | 8:15, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Cougars are on an 8-0 run, with Terrance Arceneaux nailing a 3 to put the Coogs back up by double digits. (Houston, 59-48 | 10:27, 2nd)
- THREE-POINT PLAY HOUSTON. Milos Uzan, who was held to 2 points until now, beats the shot clock by making a successful drive to the basket while drawing a foul. He then completes the three-point play. Cougars up by eight. (Houston, 56-48 | 11:11, 2nd)
- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. Cougars miss, but Ja'Vier Francis is all alone for the rebound down low and slams it back home. Much needed for the Cougars as we head to the media time out. (Houston, 53-48 | 11:42, 2nd)
- It's now a three-point game, as WVU's Aman Hansberry has been unconscious this half. He has 12 points already and three 3's, the latest cutting Houston's lead to three. (Houston, 51-48 | 12:15, 2nd)
- West Virginia still not going away. Mountaineers drain back-to-back triples, and the Houston lead is down to seven. (Houston, 49-42 | 14:00, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. LJ CRYER IS ON FIRE. Cryer with his third 3 in the second half and is also 5-of-7 from beyond the arc so far. Houston regains the 13-point lead it had at halftime. (Houston, 49-36 | 15:54, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. And another 3 from LJ Cryer, his fourth on the night. The latest was set up by a steal in the lane on the other end by Joseph Tugler. WVU takes a time out. (Houston, 46-36 | 16:34, 2nd)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Cougars break the 8-0 WVU run as LJ Cryer gets open on the left wing and nails the triple. (Houston, 43-35 | 17:47, 2nd)
- West Virginia starts the second half on an 8-0 run, beginning with back-to-back 3's. Kelvin Sampson takes a time out. (Houston, 40-35 | 18:11, 2nd)
HALFTIME STATS AND ANALYSIS
- Emanuel Sharp also in double figures for Houston with 12 points and has three 3-pointers. Cougars shot 61.5 percent from the field (16-of-26) and 54.5 percent from 3-point range (6-of-11). West Virginia shot 45.5 percent from the field (10-of-22) and 40 percent from 3 (4-of-10).
- What a first half for Houston's J'Wan Roberts. He has 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and got his last basket to fall in the final seconds before the break. Roberts now with 1,024 career points as a Cougar.
FIRST HALF
- SLAM DUNK HOUSTON. West Virginia misses an easy basket. On the other end, after a Cougar miss, J'Wan Roberts eventually gets the ball, makes a spin move past his defender and drives baseline for the emphatic finish for his 15th point on the night. (Houston, 38-27 | 1:15, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Terrance Arceneaux drills a triple and the Cougars now have their largest lead at 13 points. Coogs have shot 70 percent from the field and 67 percent from 3-point range. (Houston, 36-23 | 3:24, 1st)
- Houston now up by double digits. J'Wan Roberts is still perfect from the field, getting a one-handed jumper to bank off the glass. Cougars now on an 18-3 run. (Houston, 31-21 | 6:10, 1st)
- At the latest media time out. Emanuel Sharp and J'Wan Roberts have already combined for 21 points and each have gone 4-of-4 from the field thus far. (Houston, 29-21 | 7:38, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Houston finally missed a 3-point attempt, but Emanuel Sharp hasn't missed. He is now 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, draining his latest triple from about 30 feet from the right wing. Sharp already up to 12 points. Cougars are 11-of-14 from the field. (Houston, 29-21 | 8:41, 1st)
- THREE-POINT PLAY HOUSTON. Cougars now on an 11-0 run as Emanuel Sharp drives to the basket and gets it to go while being fouled. He then steps to the line and converts the three-point play. (Houston, 24-18 | 10:40, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Houston now 4-of-4 from beyond the arc as Emanuel Sharp breaks the tie. (Houston, 21-18 | 11:20, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON. Both teams have been draining treys so far this game. Cougars tie things up on a 3 from LJ Cryer, and they have hit on all three of their 3-point attempts. West Virginia is 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. (18-18 | 11:35, 1st)
- West Virginia goes in front on the third 3-pointer already from Javon Small. He is definitely living up to the early billing. (West Virginia, 15-12 | 14:00, 1st)
- Houston has made each of its first four field goal attempts at the first media time out. But after the break, the Cougars finally miss a shot.
- Houston already in double digits before the first media time out on a jumper from J'Wan Roberts for a 10-6 Cougar lead. But on the other end, West Virginia's Javon Small, the leading scorer in the Big 12, knocks down a 3. Now we're at the first media break. (Houston, 10-9 | 15:47, 1st)
- 3-POINTER HOUSTON: Fast pace to start the game, as there hasn't been a whistle yet. Emanuel Sharp, the nation's leader in 3-point percentage, drains a trey, the second 3 already by Houston. LJ. Cryer had the other. (Houston, 8-4 | 17:21, 1st)
- Here we go from the Fertitta Center.
PREGAME
- The Houston starting five, and it will be the usual. Starting guards are Milos Uzan, LJ Cryer and Emanuel Sharp, while the forwards are J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler.
- Live from the Fertitta Center, it's a huge early Big 12 Conference game as Houston, which has won nine of its last 10 ballgames, faces West Virginia, which comes in having won eight of its last nine.