White, Grimes Lead No. 21 Houston to Win Over Memphis

HOUSTON (AP) – For the second straight season and the first time since 1983-84, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program earned back-to-back conference championships.

Fabian White Jr. kept Houston close before Quentin Grimes provided the late spark to finish the regular season with a win. White had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Grimes added 17 points and No. 21 Houston defeated Memphis 64-57 on Sunday.

Grimes had 15 second-half points, which led to a big run for the Cougars (23-8, 13-5 American Athletic Conference).

''He struggled early in the first half,'' Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. ''He does that sometimes, but you have to stay with it because I know how good he is. Sometimes they've got to get out of their own way. When he gets out of his own way and gives himself permission to go be a dominant player, he can do it.''

Nate Hinton had 13 points for Houston, which shot 34%, including 48% in the second half.

''You're not always going to make shots,'' Sampson said. ''We go into every game knowing that we have to defend and rebound. . I don't want to lead the nation in offensive rebounds. I'd rather lead the nation in offensive field goal percentage, but if you're not going to make shots, you better know how to fetch it.''

The Cougars forced 17 turnovers by Memphis, which they turned into 18 points. Houston also had a 45-41 advantage in rebounding and a 17-8 edge in second-chance points.

Precious Achiuwa had 25 points and 15 rebounds and Lester Quinones added 10 points for Memphis (21-10, 10-8). The Tigers shot 36%, including 6 of 24 on 3-pointers.

''We understand what it was going to be like coming here,'' Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said. ''We knew it was going to be about protecting the ball and boxing out, and we didn't get it done. I have to do a better job of doing that with my squad, of being more prepared to play a game like this. They are going to give you 40 minutes of nothing but energy, and you have to be prepared for it.''

Trailing 41-39 midway through the second half, Grimes ignited Houston to a 17-2 run to give the Cougars a 53-43 lead on a layup with 3:15 remaining.

''Once I came in there, the game was flowing right,'' Grimes said. ''We had some good plays defensively, come down get into a rhythm, make a few shots. When you make a few shots, you keep shooting them, keep taking them. That's what I'm going to do.''

Memphis led 30-26 at the half behind 16 points from Achiuwa.

BIG PICTURE
Memphis: The Tigers missed a chance to help their NCAA Tournament resume and fell to 2-3 this season against ranked opponents. . Excluding Achiuwa and Quinones, Memphis shot 5 for 19 from the field. . The Tigers were 5-6 on the road this season.

''We're already short-handed, so all hands on deck every time we go out on the floor,'' Hardaway said. ''Precious had a monster game with 25 and 15. Lester got into double-figures, but you need everything. Boogie (Ellis) was 1 for 8 and Tyler (Harris) was 1 for 5, so we need everybody on that same page. We couldn't get it done today.''

Houston: The Cougars had another poor shooting first half, hitting 22%, including missing their last nine field goals over the final 5:13 of the half. . Houston finished the season 14-2 at home and won its last 10 straight at home. . Houston was 8-0 following a loss this season.

''These guys all have internal clocks,'' Sampson said of Houston's first half shooting for the morning tipoff. ''These guys aren't great shooters anyway, and they dog gone sure not good at 10 o'clock in the morning. We just needed to get to the afternoon. We shoot a lot better in the afternoons compared to the mornings.''

BUY AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP TICKETS
Fans can purchase All-Session tickets to the American Athletic Conference Championship by clicking here.

Houston opens postseason play in The American Championship Quarterfinals on Friday, March 13, inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The Cougars' first opponent and game time will be determined by standings with the completion of the regular season.

University of Houston students are invited to purchase All-Session passes for only $50. That price includes an All-Session game tickets and access to the American Athletic Conference Thursday Night Happy Hour. Students can purchase tickets for the American Athletic Conference Championship by clicking here.

Fans also can get a head start for the 2020-21 season by placing their names on the Priority Waiting List for only a $50 deposit. To reserve places on the Priority Waiting List, fans can register by clicking here and following the appropriate links from the right column.

UP NEXT
• Following Sunday's game, 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.
• Cougars will face the winner of No. 7 seed SMU and No. 10 seed Temple at 6:30 p.m., Friday, inside Dickies Arena in the Quarterfinals.

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
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