STORRS, Conn. – Damyean Dotson scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Houston improved its NCAA resume with a 75-68 win over UConn on Sunday.
Devonta Pollard added 17 points for the Cougars (21-9, 11-6 American Athletic), who have won five of their last six games.
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Daniel Hamilton had 20 points and seven rebounds for UConn (20-9, 10-6), which had won three of four coming in.
The Huskies led by as many as nine points in the first half. But the Cougars used an 8-0 run at the end of the half to cut the lead to a point and went up by as many as seven in the second half.
Houston took the lead for good on a free throw by Ronnie Johnson with 3:15 to play. A 3-pointer from the right wing by Dotson with 1:08 left extended the lead to 72-66 and the Cougars held on.
Houston hit its last five shots. UConn missed seven of its last nine.
Donald Knowles and Ronnie Johnson each chipped in with 10 points for the Cougars, who have won six conference road games this season.
A Pollard floater over 7-foot center Amida Brimah gave Houston its first lead since 2-0 at 39-37 early in the second half, part of a 9-0 run that saw the Cougars take a seven-point lead.
A lob pass from Gibbs to Brimah brought the Huskies back to within one at 51-50 and brought the crowd back into the game.
The teams went back and forth from there.
UConn opened the game on an 8-2 run thanks in part to three early rebounds from Brimah, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
A tomahawk dunk by Rodney Purvis off a Houston turnover brought the crowd into the game and gave UConn a 24-15 lead.
The Cougars responded by scoring the next five to get back to within four after a layup by Rod Gray Jr. The sophomore guard came into the game as the Cougar's leading scorer, averaging 17.1 points off the bench. He was held to just two points.
The Huskies had several opportunities to extend the lead to double digits, but would miss a foul shot, or turn the ball over.
UConn gave back a Houston turnover when Daniel Hamilton's long pass on a fast-break was intercepted and Dotson turned a missed 3-pointer by Ronnie Johnson into a highlight reel dunk. Dotson had 10 of his points before halftime.
The teams came into the game with identical records, but UConn had an RPI of 42, while Houston's was 88, making the game a must-win for the Cougars, who have won eight more games than a year ago.
The teams split the season series. The Huskies won 69-57 in Houston last month.
TIP-INS:
Houston: Galen Robinson Jr.'s three assists give him 101 for the season. He's just the sixth freshman in Houston history to reach that milestone, and the first since Desmond Wade had 113 in 2008-09.
UConn: It was the Huskies first loss on campus this season. UConn came into the game 7-0 at Gampel Pavilion.
UP NEXT:
Houston: The Cougars close the regular season at home on Thursday against Cincinnati
UConn: The Huskies visit No. 24 SMU on Thursday