Top-ranked Houston defeats North Florida, 76-42

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UPDATED: December 7, 2022 -- 9:24 a.m. CT

POSTED: December 7, 2022 -- 8:25 a.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX -- (Fertitta Center)

The top-ranked Houston Cougars defeated the North Florida Ospreys 76-42 Tuesday night to improve to 9-0 this season. Four Coogs scored in double-digits as a balanced scoring attack combined with stingy defense limited the Ospreys to a season low 42 points.

Houston big man Ja'Vier Francis led the Coogs with 14 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Freshman forward Jarace Walker posted his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Walker also added 3 assists and 3 steals. Tramon Mark scored 10.

Marcus Sasser also scored 12 points (in 8 minutes). Sasser was off to a red-hot start when he suffered a laceration above his left eye at the 12:17 mark of the first half. Sasser rotated on defense and was going for a steal when he was hit above his eye. He left the game and didn't return.

"He had five stitches," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach said after the game. "That was a nasty one. It was right above his eyebrow. He'll be alright."

Sasser's 12 points gave him 1,006 points in his career, making him the 50th player in school history to reach 1,000 points. His two 3-pointers Tuesday gave him 200 in his career, making him just the seventh Cougar to reach that mark.

North Florida (2-7) pushed pace and did a decent job keeping up with Houston early in the game. North Florida's Jarius Hicklen made a three-pointer to cut Houston's lead to 16-10 at 15:17 of the first half. Houston responded with a 12-6 spurt to lead 28-16 with 10:46 remaining in the first half.

Both teams went through a scoring drought for 2 minutes before North Florida's Jose Placer scored a layup with 8:27 on the game clock. North Florida did not score a single point the rest of the first half.

The Coogs finished the half with a 14-0 run to lead 42-18 at halftime. Eight different Coogs scored in the opening half. Houston shot 54.3 fg% (19 for 35) in the half while North Florida shot 29.2 fg% (7 for 22).

North Florida's Hicklen sank another three-pointer to begin the scoring in the second half and end the Ospreys long scoring drought. Houston answered with an 8-0 run to lead 50-21.

The Coogs' lead didn't get below 26 points the rest of the second half.

Houston point guard Jamal Shead dished out a game-high 10 assists (zero assists) in the win. Shead added 4 rebounds and 4 steals. Shead only played 25 minutes in the game. Coach Sampson gave extended minutes at running the offense to younger guards Tramon Mark, Emanuel Sharp, and Ramon Walker.

"We had to play Tramon [Mark] at the point a lot tonight," Coach Sampson commented. "That helped him. He looked good at the point."

"Anytime that I get Emanuel minutes like tonight, it's an investment in our future," Coach Sampson added. "These guys are our future. If Marcus hadn't gotten hurt, Emanuel might've not gotten 19 [minutes]. He might've gotten 12. I saw a lot of positives tonight."

Houston out-rebounded North Florida 42-26 on the boards including 25-18 in defensive rebounding. The Coogs had only 8 turnovers while North Florida committed 20 turnovers. Houston held a 21-5 points off turnovers advantage. Houston outscored North Florida 48-10 in the paint; 19-2 in second chance points and 36-15 in bench points.

Houston scored 1.310 points per possession. North Florida scored 0.689 points per possession.

NEXT: The Coogs' next game is Saturday, December 10 versus No. 8 Alabama, inside Fertitta Center. Tip is set for 2 p.m. CT on ABC.

"At the end of the day, it's Alabama versus Houston," Coach Sampson remarked. "Not "ranked Alabama" vs. "ranked Houston" as far as the two teams are concerned. It's a storyline. It's a nationally televised game, and both teams really want to win.

"Neither team cares about storylines. I promise you Nate (Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats) doesn't, and I don't. I just want to beat Alabama. I don't want to beat them because of the storyline or what it would mean later. It's our next game.

"Whether we win or lose, we have a game [next] Tuesday. Alabama is certainly good enough to beat us; but, we're good enough to beat them. Somebody's going to lose; but, we're going to play your next game."

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