Jamal Shead's 25 points lead Houston to 76-72 overtime win at Texas

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POSTED: January 29, 2024 -- 11:33 p.m. CT

AUSTIN, TX -- Moody Center

The Houston Cougars earned a tough, hard-fought 76-72 overtime win over the Texas Longhorns Monday night. Houston senior point guard Jamal Shead led the Coogs with 25 points.

"We're not trying to be the prettiest team," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach, said after the game. "That's never been my deal. We're just trying to win the game."

Houston (19-2 overall, 6-2 in Big 12) trailed Texas (14-7, 3-5) 54-48 with 7:38 remaining in the second half. Shead made back-to-back three-pointers to tie the Horns at 54; then, Shead dished to teammate Emanuel Sharp for a go-ahead three-point basket. Houston's 9-0 run took less than 75 seconds.

Longhorns' forward Dillon Mitchell sank 2 free throws to end the Horns' scoring drought; but, Shead answered with a jumper for a 59-56 Houston lead.

Texas' veteran forward Dylan Disu followed with a jumper to cut Houston's lead to 59-58 with 5:25 remaining.

Neither team scored for more than 2 minutes until Texas guard Max Abmas split two free throws to tie the game at 59.

After Shead missed a jumper, Mitchell scored a layup to put the Horns on top 61-59. Houston committed a turnover on its next possession; then, Shead picked up his 4th foul and Texas guard Chendall Weaver went to the free throw line and made both foul shots for a 63-59 Texas lead with 2:14 to go.

Shead answered with a pull up jumper in the paint and he was fouled; however, he missed the layup. Houston big man Ja'Vier Francis snagged the missed free throw and was fouled. Francis, an average free throw shooter at best, sank both foul shots to tie the game at 63 with 1:59 on the clock.

Abmas sank two free throws with 99 seconds to go; next, Shead missed a dunk on a baseline drive and the putback try before teammate J'Wan Roberts scored the putback to tie the game at 65. Roberts missed the And-1 opportunity.

With the score tied at 65 and 85 seconds left in regulation, netither team scored in the closing moments. Shead airballed a pull up three-pointer with 2.8 seconds on the clock; and, Abmas missed a halfcourt heave to send the game into overtime.

Roberts made a free throw 11 seconds into the extra session. Both teams missed field goal attemps the next 2 plus minutes before LJ Cryer sank 2 free throws for a 68-65 Houston lead with 2:13 left in OT.

Ja'Vier Francis picked up his 5th foul defending Dylan Disu. Houston freshman big man JoJo Tugler came into the game for Francis. Disu made both free throws to trim Houston's lead to 68-67 with 2 minutes remaining.

LJ Cryer missed a pull up jumper in the paint; and, Tugler leaped in with a put back slam dunk for a 70-67 lead with 87 seconds to go.

Abmas answered with a jumper and a free throw (fouled by Cryer) to tie the game at 70 with 67 seconds on the clock.

Cryer missed a jumper; but, Tugler kept the possession alive with a tip out. Cryer dished to Roberts and Roberts scored a layup for a 72-70 Houston lead with just 37 seconds remaining.

The Longhorns called timeout. After the timeout, Abmas missed a driving layup and Emanuel Sharp pulled down the miss and was fouled. Sharp was fouled and made both free throws for a 74-70 lead with 10 seconds left in the game.

Abmas missed a 3; Dillon Mitchell missed a dunk; the ball caromed out to Abmas at the 3-point line. Abmas was fouled by Shead. The officials ruled the foul a 3-shot foul. Abmas made the first 2 free throws before intentionally missing the 3rd attempt.

Tugler pulled down the rebound and Sharp, his teammate, took the ball from Tugler before getting fouled. Sharp went to the line and sank both free throws to ice the game.

Four different Coogs had 8 rebounds in the game: Francis, Roberts, Shead, and Sharp. Houston outrebounded Texas 47-36 and outscored the Horns 19-8 in second chance points.

In addition to Shead's 25 points and 8 assists, LJ Cryer and J'Wan Roberts each scored 14 points; and Emanuel Sharp added 13 points.

Jamal Shead now has 581 assists in his career and moved past Houston great Galen Robinson Jr into fourth place in Houston career history.

NEXT: Houston's next game is Saturday, February 3, in Lawrence, KS, against the Kansas Jayhawks. Tip is set for 3 pm CT on ESPN.

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