LJ Cryer scores 28 in Houston's 68-59 top-10 win over Iowa State

Support The HRR | HRR business directory

POSTED: February 23, 2025 -- 1:35 p.m. CT

HOUSTON, TX -- Fertitta Center

Saturday afternoon, the Houston Cougars improved to 23-4 overall and 15-1 in the Big 12 Conference with a 68-59 home victory over the Iowa State Cyclones. The Cyclones (21-6, 11-5) were without starting guard Keshon Gilbert and sixth man Curtis Jones.

Houston led by as much as 16 (45-29) in the second half; however, Iowa State went on a 13-0 run over a 4 minute span to slice Houston's lead to 45-42 with 10:40 on the clock.

Houston graduate guard LJ Cryer hit a step back 3-point shot to stretch Houston's lead to 6 (48-42); but, Iowa State big man Brandton Chatfield scored a hook shot and senior guard Nate Heise swished a three-pointer to reduce the Coogs' lead to just 1 point (48-47) with 8:10 on the game clock.

Cryer answered with back-to-back baskets for a 5 point lead.

"What we did was try to play down the middle, which is why we were setting up step-up screens versus side screens," Kelvin Sampson, Houston Head Coach, said after the game. "So, we just have this thing we call zip-flat, where now we take all the help away and you play one on one, but you have to have someone that's good enough to play one-on-one, you can't just go eenie meenie miney moe, you better have somebody. We thought L.J. is our best one-on-one player to get a good shot. He knows how to get a shot."

Heise got a dunk; then, Houston graduate forward J'Wan Roberts made 2 free throws for a 54-49 Houston lead with 6:19 remaining in the game.

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic wished a three-pointer; but, Cryer nailed a step back 3 for a 56-52 lead.

"A lot of the shots that I got tonight, I worked all with Coach Q (Quannas White, UH associate head coach)," Cryer remarked after the game. "Just being able to score in a different variety of ways. When I got here, he helped me with my craftiness. It was just about going out there and trusting your work at the end of the day."

Momcilovic proved to be match-up problem for Houston and was fouled on 2 consecutive possessions. He made all four foul shots.

"Obviously, the first half defense for us was really good, but they started screening to the match-up they wanted and they were getting L.J. matched up on Momcilovic [Milan], or one or the other, or Emanuel [Sharp] on Jefferson [Joshua]. They were pounding us with that, we had a couple of silly fouls, but as long as we took away the three."

Houston junior point guard Milos Uzan scored a driving layup in between the 4 made free throws. After Momcilovic made his 4th free throw, Uzan swished a step back three-pointer for a 61-56 Houston lead with 4:23 left in the game.

Dishon Jackson split two free throws for Iowa State. Cryer responded with a banked in runner in the paint and a made free throw for a 64-57 Houston lead with 3:49 to go in the game.

Neither team scored for nearly 3 minutes until Dishon Jackson scored a putback layup to cut Houston's lead to 64-59 with 66 seconds left in the game.

Twenty seconds later, Emanuel Sharp swished a deep three-pointer to put the game away.

Cryer scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the second half; and, Sharp scored all 11 of his points in the second half. Milos Uzan scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half to lead Houston to a 34-22 halftime lead.

Uzan committed, for him, an unusually high 4 turnovers in the game.

"I just continue to stay aggressive, that's how my points have gone up a little bit more."

Houston, as a team, committed a season-high 17 turnovers.

"Their traps bothered us," Coach Sampson acknowledged. "We didn't do a very good job of getting to our spots. But we are 15-1."

Next: Houston's next game is on Monday, February 24, at Texas Tech. Tip is set for 8 pm CT on ESPN.

NOTES:

With Saturday's win, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson improved to 787-353 record during his award-winning career. He move into sole possession of 17th in NCAA history among coaches with 10+ years at NCAA Division I level. Sampson broke out a tie with former Coach Lefty Driesell, who recorded 786 wins with Georgia State, James Madison, Maryland and Davidson from 1960 to 2003.

Support The HRR

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