The path forward for 15th-ranked Houston is clear: Defend at a level that leaves opponents intimidated and unable to maintain any semblance of sustained offensive efficiency.
After struggling to defend on par with their well-earned reputation during an especially grueling stretch last month, the Cougars followed a strong defensive performance against Butler with another one in their 62-42 home victory over Troy on Dec. 10.
Houston (6-3) set a first-half school record by limiting the Trojans to 11 points. And the Cougars will look to extend their home winning streak to 28 games on Wednesday night when they host Toledo (6-4).
“Our defense is getting more connected,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Kids are starting to know where to go, (and where) to be in the right spots. Their communications are much better. We’re on time with our communication, and then our reaction to whatever the call is. We’re significantly better than we were even two or three weeks ago.”
That development has fueled the Cougars to three wins in their last four games. And with their defense clicking, they have found the complementary offense to further undergird success with senior guard L.J. Cryer leading the way. Cryer scored a game-high 22 points in the victory over Troy by drilling 6 of 7 3-pointers, notching his third consecutive 20-point game.
It marked the fourth 20-point game this season and 29th overall for Cryer, who also strung together three consecutive 20-point games late last season.
“L.J. played like a senior,” Sampson said of Cryer, who leads Houston in scoring with an average of 16.0 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent on 3-pointers. “He played like this is the next game on our schedule. No matter who we play, this is an important game. And I think that’s a step forward for his leadership, too.”
Back-to-back blowout losses to UC San Diego and Oakland by an average of 34 points stalled the momentum the Rockets generated with a five-game winning streak through their 82-80 win over Jacksonville State on Nov. 22. Even with their 93-87 road loss to Youngstown State on Saturday, the Rockets appear to have reclaimed their footing, ignited by a 111-49 home victory over Defiance College a week earlier.
“I thought we started to get our grit and edge back,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said.
Much of the Rockets’ early-season success is linked to their balanced offense.
Averaging 16.4 points per game, sophomore guard Sonny Wilson paces Toledo in scoring. However, three others are averaging double digits in points for the Rockets, including sophomore guard Sam Lewis (13.9), sophomore forward Javan Simmons (11.8) and senior guard Isaiah Adams (11.0).
All four reached double figures against Youngstown State, led by Lewis’ career-high 21 points. Wilson added 17 points while Adams notched 12 and Simmons 10 to set the template for success for the Rockets, who must employ that shared approach with their guard-heavy attack to mount a legitimate threat against the Cougars’ stifling defense.
–Field Level Media
