UH men’s basketball team rallies to win first exhibition game in Australia

Cougars use dominating second half to break close game open; Emanuel Sharp leads five Cougars in double digits with 17 points (University of Houston)

HOUSTON – The Houston Coogs won their first exhibition game during their visit to the Land Down Under on Monday.

Facing the East All-Stars in Sydney, the Coogs played a close game during the first two quarters, then dominated the final half with a final score of 93-52.

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The Cougars forced 28 turnovers and converted them to 33 points.

After Isaiah Lee’s 3-pointer moved the East All-Stars to within 41-33 with just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, Houston erupted on a 27-4 run to close out the frame. Senior guard L.J. Cryer buried a pair of long-range shots to lead the Cougars in the run while sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp posted five points and senior guard Mylik Wilson and freshman forward Joseph Tugler each had four.

The Cougars played under FIBA rules with four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock. This was Houston’s first game on their 12-day, four-game international tour of Australia.

This is the third international tour for the Cougars under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson with previous trips to Italy (2019) and China (2015). It’s the team’s first visit to the Southern Hemisphere.


About the Author

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.

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