Coogs top UAB, 66-61

POSTED: January 26, 2013 -- 7:25 p.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX (Hofheinz Pavilion) -- The Houston Cougars found a way to win Saturday evening. Despite losing a 13-point lead, the Coogs snapped a four-game losing streak with a 66-61 victory over the UAB Blazers.

TaShawn Thomas stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points (7 for 12 field goals), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 blocked shot and 1 steal.

Joseph Young added 14 points (5 for 12 field goals, 2 for 3 3s).

The Coogs (13-6 overall, 2-4 in Conference USA) led the Blazers (8-12, 0-5) 33-26 at the half; then, Danuel House and Young nailed back-to-back three-point shots to start the second half for a 39-26 lead.

After UAB's Rod Rucker sank a jump shot, Young made another jumper.

The Coogs led 41-28 with 16:36 on the game clock.

The Coogs' offense took a snooze over the next seven minutes and the Blazers caught fire. UAB's Terence Jones made 3 three-point shots and scored 11 points during an 18-4 Blazers' blitz; and, the Coogs trailed 48-45 with 9:52 remaining in the second half.

Jherrod Stiggers scored a layup at the 9:35 mark to trim the Coogs' deficit to one point. Neither team scored the next three minutes before TaShawn Thomas sank a jump shot for a 49-48 Coogs' lead.

The game went back-and-forth for three minutes; before Leon Gibson converted a layup and Stiggers got a shooter's bounce on a big three-point basket for a 59-55 Coogs' lead with 2:47 remaining.

The lead increased to six 20 seconds later; but, instead of cruising to the victory, the Coogs failed to put the Blazers away. UAB's Jordan Swing swished a three-point shot to cut the Coogs' lead to 62-61 with 11 seconds remaining.

Joseph Young made two free throws and, after Jones missed a three, Danuel House sank two free throws, with 4 seconds left, to close out the scoring.

The Coogs shot 45.3% (24 for 53) from the field while the Blazers made 47.1% (24 for 51) of the field goal attempts.

The Coogs next game is Wednesday, January 30, at cross-town rival, Rice. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

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