Coogs top Aggies, 79-64, in charity exhibition game

Support The HRR | HRR business directory

POSTED: October 28, 2024 -- 2:59 p.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX -- Fertitta Center

The Houston Cougars defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 79-64 Sunday afternoon in a charity exhibition game. Proceeds from the charity game will benefit the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund, which assists those who were affected by the storm.

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is a partnership between the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the United Way of Greater Houston, both of which are 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations. As of earlier October, the fund had raised nearly $6 million to assist those in need.

"I was so appreciative of the crowd today," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach said after the game. "Because the money went to the victims of Hurricane Beryl. I want to thank our fans for coming today. And, the Texas A&M fans for coming today to make sure that -- basketball lessons are important; but, life lessons are for more important.

"To be able to use basketball as a tool to help the less fortunate, I'm glad we're able to do that. That's something that I will remember far better than how Mercy (Houston freshman guard Mercy Miller) or what freshman didn't play good. That's irrelevant in the big picture. What is relevant though is we were able to help a lot of people today."

Houston scored the first 8 points of the game and never trailed. Houston redshirt-junior guard Emanuel Sharp and graduate senior guard LJ Cryer each hit a three-point basket during the 8 point burst.

Sharp sank another three-pointer for an 11-2 Houston lead. The Aggies pulled within 1 (13-12) before Houston newcomer Milos Uzan swished a 3. The Coogs made 5 of their first 7 three-point attempts in the opening half.

Cryer ended the first-half scoring with a three-point basket to give the Coogs a 38-28 halftime lead. Cryer scored a team-high 9 points in 14 plus minutes in the opening half.

Cryer swished two more 3-pointers in the opening 4 minutes of the second half as Houston increased its lead to 46-30 with 15:59 on the clock. The Coogs' lead ballooned to 25 (71-46) before Coach Sampson put his younger players into the game.

Houston (Ja'Vier Francis) and Texas A&M (Solomon Washington and Zhuric Phelps) were without key rotation players.

"However, if this would have been a normal game, Ja'Vier definitely would've played." Coach Sampson said. "There's no reason for him to play this game. This was an exhibition game which is why I let all our guys play."

Coach Williams added, "Those guys (Washington and Phelps) in our group maybe could have played. It was just my decision relative to their health and well-being going forward."

Houston out-rebounded Texas A&M 40-29 -- including 19-10 on the offensive glass. Houston sophomore big man JoJo Tugler grabbed 8 of the Coogs' 8 o-boards.

LJ Cryer sank 6 of his 12 three-point attempts and scored a team-high 18 points.

Wade Taylor IV scored 18 points to lead the Aggies. Taylor also committed 6 of the Aggies' 16 team turnovers. Houston converted those turnovers into 22 points.

Both teams begin the 2024-25 season on Monday, November 4. Texas A&M travels to Orlando to face UCF at 6 pm CT while Houston hosts Jackson State at 7 pm CT.

Support The HRR

CLICK HERE for The HRR's write-ups of Coogs' men's hoops games.