Houston Cougars On SI

Game recap: Houston hammers Jackson State in college basketball opener

No. 4 Houston opened its season at home on Monday night with a 57-point win

Ben Sherman

Houston Cougars guard LJ Cryer (4) is one of the top returning players in college basketball.
Houston Cougars guard LJ Cryer (4) is one of the top returning players in college basketball. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Houston Cougars are back, and some pundits think they are better than ever.

Ranked No. 4 to start the 2024-25 college basketball season, Kelvin Sampson's team is a preseason favorite to cut down the nets at the 2025 Final Four in San Antonio.

Boasting four returning starters, a top 50 transfer portal addition and a healthy Terrance Arceneaux, the Cougars are loaded. Fifth-year senior guard LJ Cryer is the centerpiece for the Cougars. He averaged 15.5 points and shot 38.8 percent from the 3-point line last season.

Follow our live updates and in-game analysis as Cryer and the Cougars open their season at home Monday night vs. Jackson State. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the game is being televised on ESPN+.

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Final Stats

Houston shot the lights out from three (12-of-20) and outrebounded Jackson State 37-23. The Cougars also forced 20 turnovers and had 12 steals.

Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan was spectacular in his Houston debut with 8 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. LJ Cryer led all scorers with 16 points, and Mylik Wilson had 15 points off the bench. J'Wan Roberts had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. All 11 players who entered the game for Houston scored.

The Cougars are off until Saturday when they play No. 11 Auburn at the Toyota Center.

Second Half Updates

Houston 97, Jackson State 40, final: The fourth-ranked Cougars open the season with a 57-point victory.

Houston 81, Jackson State 33, 5:37 to play: The Cougars are a blistering 11-of-17 from the 3-point line and now freshman Mercy Miller is getting in on the action.

Houston 67, Jackson State 23: 11:53 to play: LJ Cryer has 16 points, J'Wan Roberts has 14 and the Cougars are rolling.

Halftime Stats

LJ Cryer leads all scorers with 13 points, including 3-of-5 from downtown. J'Wan Roberts has 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, and Terrance Arceneaux has 7 points. The Cougars outrebounded Jackson State 19-9 and forced 14 turnovers with their suffocating man-to-man defense. Jackson State shot just 22.7 percent from the field in the first half.

First Half Updates

Houston 52, Jackson State 13, halftime: The Cougars caught fire from three in the first half, knocking down 8-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Houston 18, Jackson State 3, 11:52 left: Houston catches fire from the 3-point line and goes on a 15-1 run to take control of the game. Terrrance Arceneaux, Joseph Tugler and LJ Cryer all knocked down threes during the run.

Jackson State technical: Mo Williams' teams gets a rare technical foul for having six men on the court. Can't remember the last time that happened in a college basketball game. Houston leads 12-2 with 13:30 to play.

Houston 5, Jackson State 2: 15:29 left: Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan looks really good in the early going. He buries a 3-pointer and dishes to Joseph Tugler for a dunk to give Houston an early lead. Sloppy start to the game with four total turnovers in the first four minutes.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson rolls out the same starting five as last week's exhibition win over Texas A&M: LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, Milos Uzan, J'Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler.

Pregame Updates

Houston comes into the game with longest home winning streak in the nation at 22 games.

Houston is wearing its home whites tonight. Jordan Brand, of course. We're about five minutes away from tip.

More Houston & Big 12 Analysis

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Ben Sherman
BEN SHERMAN

Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.

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