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University of Houston
22-8, 12-5AAC
UConn
18-12, 9-8AAC
Vital Leads UConn to 77-71 Win Over Houston
3/5/2020 9:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
AP Sports Writer
STORRS, Conn. (AP) – Christian Vital scored 26 points in his final home game and UConn beat No. 21 Houston 77-71 on Thursday night inside Gampel Pavilion.
Freshman James Bouknight added 17 points and Isaiah Whaley had 13 for the Huskies (18-12, 9-8 American Athletic Conference), who won their fourth straight game, but just their second this season over a ranked opponent.
Quentin Grimes scored 24 points and Caleb Mills added 20 for Houston (22-8, 12-5), which fell into a tie for second place in the conference.
UConn took control with a 15-2 run in the second half while Houston's Nate Hinton and DeJon Jarreau dealt with foul trouble.
The Cougars led by seven at the half.
But Hinton picked up his third foul early in the second half and Bouknight converted a four-point play that energized UConn.
A 3-pointer from Vital tied the game at 41 and an off-balance shot by Jalen Gaffney gave UConn its first lead of the half at 47-45.
Jarreau was called for a charge and fouled out with just under six minutes left.
That led to a jumper by Vital at the other end that put UConn up 60-53, part of the decisive run.
Grimes hit a pair of long 3-pointers late that cut the UConn lead to 75-71 with 25 seconds left. But Vital won the game from the foul line.
Houston had 71 shots to just 48 for UConn, but the Huskies made 24 of theirs and were 25 of 33 from the foul line. Houston shot 36.6% (26 of 71) and made all 10 of its free throws.
The Cougars scored the game's first five points, but then missed 10 consecutive shots, allowing UConn to go on a 16-0 run over the next seven minutes.
Houston fought back and took the lead at 32-30 on a contested jumper from the left wing by Caleb Mills.
Mills and Grimes scored every point in a 10-0 run over the final two minutes of the first half, which was capped by Grimes' 3-pointer from the right baseline at the buzzer.
BIG PICTURE
Houston: The Cougars' previous four conference losses came by a total of six points. They had lost two of their previous four conference games, each by a point to SMU and Memphis, while beating conference leaders Tulsa and Cincinnati.
UConn: The Huskies have won their last six home games and finished the season 14-3 at home. They are 2-4 against ranked opponents, with their other win coming against then-No. 15 Florida in November.
UP NEXT
• Following Thursday's game, Cougars close the regular season when they face Memphis at 11 a.m., Sunday, inside the Fertitta Center.
• Center Chris Harris Jr. and his family will be recognized in pregame ceremonies as part of Senior Day.
• Tigers enjoyed a 60-59 win inside FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Feb. 22.
• Game will air on CBS and can be heard on KPRC 950 AM and TuneIn app.
• From there, Houston will take its first steps in the postseason when it competes at the American Athletic Conference Championship.
• Tournament will be held March 12-15 inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas... First of three consecutive years in which the tournament will be played in this venue.
• Houston's first opponent, game time and date will be determined with the final seeding of teams from the regular-season standings.
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, a signed basketball, invitations to practice, a tour of the $25 million Guy V. Lewis Development Facility, regular updates about the program and much more.
To join the 50-50 Club, fans can call 713-743-9742 or email UHMensBasketball@uh.edu. For more information about the 50-50 Club, levels of giving and benefits, fans can click here.
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' Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.
– UHCougars.com –
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