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University of Houston
Lamar
0-1
Houston Defeats Lamar in Season Opener
11/25/2020 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Marcus Sasser leads all scorers with 25 points
HOUSTON (AP) — Marcus Sasser scored 25 points, Tramon Mark added 22 points and eight rebounds and No. 17 Houston opened its season with an 89-45 win over Lamar on Wednesday.
Sasser shot 9 of 11, including 7 of 9 on 3-pointers. DeJon Jarreau had nine points and eight rebounds, and Quentin Grimes chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.
The Cougars, who entered the season ranked for the first time since starting the 1983-84 season at No. 3, shot 42% from the field. Houston finished 13 of 33 on 3-pointers and outrebounded the Cardinals 49-34.
Anderson Kopp scored 15 points and Avery Sullivan added eight points and seven rebounds to lead Lamar. The Cardinals shot 30%, including 1 of 13 on 3-pointers.
Playing in front of a 25% capacity crowd, the Cougars started slowly before finishing the first half on an 18-4 run to take a 35-15 lead into halftime. Sasser scored nine of his 19 first-half points during the run.
The Cardinals got no closer than 15 in the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Lamar: The Cardinals shot 20% from the field in the first half and went the final 6 1/2 minutes without a field goal. Lamar, which was picked to finish fifth in the Southland Conference, hung with the Cougars for most of the first half, but Houston's size and athleticism were too much.
Houston: The Cougars were playing without preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Caleb Mills, who sat with an injury. Houston forced 22 turnovers and eight blocks and had a 37-9 advantage in bench points.
MOVING UP
Kelvin Sampson notched his 640th career win, moving him into a tie for 44th on in NCAA history with Homer Drew. Sampson is one win behind Billy Tubbs. Sampson also coached his 200th game at Houston and is 140-60 with the Cougars.
UP NEXT
• Following Wednesday's game, the Cougars face Boise State at 2 p.m., Friday, inside the Fertitta Center in the first game of the Southwest Showcase.
• That game can be seen on ESPN+ and can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.
• From there, the Cougars hit the road for the first time in 2020-21 to take on Texas Tech at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, in the Southwest Showcase finale.
• That game will air on ESPN2 and can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.
• Sunday's game won't be the first time in 2020-21 that the Cougars compete inside Dickies Arena.
• Houston enters the postseason inside Dickies Arena when it tees off in the American Athletic Conference Championship on March 11-14, 2021.
JOIN the 50-50-CLUB
Fans are invited to join the 50-50 Club to support Houston Men's Basketball. 50-50 Club members help fund program necessities and enhance the experience for our student-athletes.
Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.
For more information or to sign up, fans may visit uhcougars.com/5050club or click here. To join the 50-50 Club, fans may call Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH (46874).
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on Twitter and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
