Coogs Blast Bulls 63-40

Updated: January 29, 2018 -- 12:55 pm CST.

Posted: January 28, 2018 -- 7:54 pm CDT.

HOUSTON, TX (H&PE Arena) -- The Houston Cougars utilized timely baskets and stifling defense to defeat the South Florida (USF) Bulls 63-40 Sunday afternoon. Junior guard Corey Davis Jr scored a game-high 17 points while freshman big man Fabian White Jr scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds (plus a game-high 5 turnovers) to lead the Coogs' offense.

"I think our offense struggled today,” Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson commented. “I've never had a kid shoot and try to miss; they all try to make it. The difference between this game and the Tulsa game was that our three-point balls were on target. Armoni shot balls that looked like they were going in, but he missed eight in a row. I don't care about that, because you don't hang your hat on making threes, you hang your hat on something that can travel. The next game we play here we might make 15 threes, but that's not what's going to win big games for us. Every game we’ve won this year has been because our defense has been good."

Final stats: Houston 63, USF 40.

USF played at a slower tempo which reduced the number of possessions in the first half. The slower pace helped the Bulls stay close for the first 17 minutes of the opening half. Houston did not lead by more than five points before the Bulls pulled within 19-17 with 4:26 remaining in the first half.

Corey and Fabian combined for the final 14 points of the first half.

Davis Jr assisted on a basket by White Jr for a 21-17 lead. Then, Davis Jr sank back-to-back three-points and, after a great pump fake, scored a driving lay-up for 8 consecutive points for a 29-17 Houston lead with 1:46 remaining until halftime. Next, White Jr knocked down another jump shot for a 31-17 lead; and, lastly, White Jr capped off the scoring in the first half with a slam dunk for a 33-17 Houston lead at halftime. Davis Jr assisted on the dunk.

In the first half, Davis Jr made 5 of 6 field goal attempts, including 3 for 3 from three-point range, and White Jr made 6 of 8 field goals. The duo scored 25 of the team's 33 first-half points.

The duo's 11 for 14 shooting helped offset the 4 for 13 field goal shooting by their teammates. Houston dominated the boards with a 20-11 edge.

Houston's Breaon Brady scored a lay-up to start the scoring in the second half. Brady's layup boosted Houston's lead to 18 points. The Bulls did not get closer than 17 points the rest of the game.

"Coach preaches defense everyday and we try to get our defense ready,” White Jr said after the game. “It’s a big deal, because the defense can win you games.”

Neither team shot the ball well in the second half: Houston shot 32.4% (11 for 34) while USF shot 32.0% (8 for 25). The Bulls shot 31.9% (15 for 47) for the game. USF also shot a woeful 9 for 23 (39.1%) from the foul line.

"The guys on our defense were outstanding,” Kelvin Sampson said after the game. “We're getting better at all the things we work on defensively. We spent a lot of this week bringing other kids up to speed. Basketball is just a game of actions and you have to be able to guard multiple actions. We really worked hard on our defense this week and it showed today.”

With the win, Houston improves to 16-4 overall and 6-2 in the American Athletic Conference. USF's record falls to 7-14 and 1-8.

Houston's next game is Wednesday, January 31, against first-place Cincinnati, on the road. Tip is set for 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

"Coach makes sure that we are very focused,” said Corey Davis Jr. “We know we have a big game coming up, but we have to take everything one step at a time. We shouldn't rush to get to the next step, but instead focus on what's in front of us.”

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