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University of Houston
UAB
Houston Falls Short Against UAB, 82-79
1/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - After trailing by as many as 13 points with eight minutes left to play, the University of Houston rallied to within one point before falling, 82-79, at UAB Saturday afternoon in a Conference USA showdown.
The Blazers' freshman forward Lawrence Kinnard hit three clutch baskets in the final minutes of the game. His biggest basket came on UAB's final possession with seven seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down when. Kinnard banked in a 10-foot jumper from the right wing between two defenders.
The Cougars called their final timeout and Chris Lawson drove down the floor and launched a three-point shot from the top of the key, but his shot fell short. Houston's Ramon Dyer rebounded the errant shot but the final horn sounded before he could attempt another three-point try.
The game opened with both teams fighting back and forth in the first four and one-half minutes as the Cougars held an early 9-7 lead with 15:34 left in the opening period.
Houston extended its lead to 26-15, midway in the first half when Jahmar Thorpe hit a jumper at the free throw line with 10:50 remaining.
The Blazers came right back to pull within 33-32 on a jump shot by Kinnard.
UAB took back the lead in the final five minutes of the half and was leading, 46-44, when Oliver Lafayette was called for a blocking foul Wen Mukubu's drive to the basket with 52 seconds.
Houston head coach Tom Penders collapsed on the sideline and fell to his knees on the floor in front of Houston's bench. Official John Hampton called him for a technical foul thinking he was reacting to Lafayette's foul. But, the game was stopped and the crowd hushed when Penders didn't get back up.
Doctors rushed to Penders' side, rolling him on his back and giving him oxygen before he was taken off the floor on a stretcher. Later, Penders attributed the incident to dehydration and not eating the pre-game meal after working out earlier in the day.
"I felt fine a few seconds after taking the oxygen," Penders said later. "I just got a little lightheaded and went down to my knees."
He returned to coach the Cougars in the second half.
In the second stanza, UAB held its biggest lead of 13 points, 72-59, when Brandon Tobias made two free throws with 8:12 left to play.
Houston chipped away at the lead the rest of the way, and pulled to within one, 80-79, when Lanny Smith drove the lane for a lay-up with 40 seconds left to play.
After UAB called its final timeout of the game, the Blazers worked the shot clock down to one before Kinnard hit shot.
Four Cougars scored in double figures, as Smith equaled his season high of 20 points to lead Houston, while Lafayette added 15 points and had three steals. Bryan Latham scored 11 points and also had three steals, and Dyer scored 10 points despite playing just 13 minutes because of foul trouble.
Lawson came off the bench to scored six points, grab six rebounds and hand out seven assists, while Jahmar Thorpe netted nine points in 15 minutes.
Mukubu led UAB with 16 points, while Kinnard and Marvett McDonald scored 13 points each and Paul Delaney added 11.
Houston suffered its third loss in its first four Conference USA games and enters next Wednesday's game at Tulane with a 10-6 overall record and a 1-3 C-USA mark. UAB won its 11th straight game to improve to 14-3 overall and the Blazers are 4-0 in C-USA play.
