#3/3 Men’s Basketball Travels to Face rv/rv Oregon on Sunday

EUGENE, Ore. – Winners of its first four games to open the 2022-23 season, the third-ranked University of Houston Men's Basketball programs travels to its first true road contest to face rv/rv Oregon at 6:30 p.m. (EST) Sunday inside Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.

The Cougars enter this weekend's game after a pair of home wins in the Cougar Classic inside the Fertitta Center earlier this week. Houston claimed an 83-45 win over Oral Roberts on Monday and followed that with an 83-48 victory over city-rival Texas Southern on Wednesday.

Senior guard Marcus Sasser was named the event's Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior guard Tramon Mark and freshman forward Jarace Walker.

This marks the second straight season in which the Cougars will face the Ducks. Houston took a 78-49 win at the relocated Maui Jim Maui Invitational inside Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 24, 2021.

This season, Sasser leads the Cougars with 16.8 points per game and needs only 79 more to become the 50^th 1,000-Point career scorer in Houston history. The Dallas native and Preseason All-American has already enjoyed two games of 20+ points early this season and ranks second among the Cougars with 3.8 assists per game and a 3.0 assist-turnover ratio.

Freshman forward Jarace Walker has impressed fans early with 13.0 points per game and a team-best 7.3 rebounds per game and enters Sunday's game as the reigning American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week.

Junior forward J'Wan Roberts and junior guard Tramon Mark are tied for third on the team with 11.3 points per game with Roberts' 74.1 field-goal percentage leading the league and ranking among the nation's Top-25 leaders.

Sophomore forward Ja'Vier Francis has blocked at least two shots in each of the first four games this season with back-to-back 3-block performances against Northern Colorado (Nov . 7) and Saint Joseph's (Nov. 11) to start the year and leads the Cougars and The American with 2.5 blocks per game.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on ESPN with Matt Pedersen (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Sunday's game on 950 AM KPRC or The Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Houston Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

BUY 2022-23 TICKETS
Fans may now purchase single-game tickets for the Cougars' 18 regular-season home games inside the Fertitta Center. Supplies are limited, and fans are encouraged to purchase soon before they run out.

To purchase single-game tickets, fans may call the Athletics Ticket Office at 713-GO-COOGS (462-6647) during regular business hours or click here any time.

For the third straight season, the Cougars sold out of their season tickets for home games inside the Fertitta Center.

Fans who were unable to purchase season tickets in 2022-23 are invited to join the team's 2023-24 Wait List as the Cougars prepare to enter the Big 12 Conference. To join the 2023-24 season tickets Wait List, fans can click here.

ABOUT OREGON
• Oregon brings a 2-1 record in 2022-23 into Sunday's game. The Ducks are 2-1 in home games this season.
• In their most recent action, the Ducks enjoyed an 81-51 win over Montana State on Tuesday in Eugene, Ore.
• Against Montana State, Kel'El Ware came off the bench to pour in 16 points with seven rebounds and lead five Ducks with double-digit points. Guard Will Richardson finished with 12 points and a game-high six assists, while forward Quincy Guerrier totaled 11 points and tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds. Guard Keeshawn Barthelemy and center Nate Bittle finished with 10 points apiece.
• This season, N'Faly Dante leads Oregon with 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Barthelemy stands second with 10.7 points per contest, while Bittle is a close third with 10.0 points per game. Richardson tops the Ducks with 4.7 assists per game.
• Head Coach Dana Altman is in his 13th season at Oregon and his 34th season as a collegiate head coach.
• Altman has compiled a 302-126 record at Oregon.... Previously built a 327-176 record at Creighton (1994-10), a 68-54 record at Kansas State (1990-94) and a 15-13 mark at Marshall (1989-90).
• Altman is 1-4 against Houston during his career... Includes a 1-2 mark with Oregon and an 0-2 record with Creighton.
• Altman is 1-2 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 1980 graduate of Eastern New Mexico

SERIES HISTORY vs. OREGON
• Houston owns a 3-1 lead in the series against Oregon, which began Dec. 12, 1970, at the Bluebonnet Classic in Houston.
• Sunday's game marks the second straight season in which the teams will play.
• The two teams have split the last two meetings. However, Houston can boast of the most recent success after taking a 78-49 win against the Ducks in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Third-Place Game inside Michelob ULTRA Arena on Nov . 24, 2021.
at Oregon: Sunday's game will be only the second time the two teams have met in Eugene, Ore.
• In the lone previous meeting, Oregon took a 78-66 win inside Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 22, 2019.

UP NEXT
• Following Sunday's game, the Cougars return to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to play host to Kent State on Nov. 26. Tipoff time for that game will be announced soon. That game will air on ESPN+.
• That game will be part of a busy day around the Houston Athletics complex as Cougar Football closes its regular-season schedule against Tulsa at 6 or 6:30 p.m., Nov. 26.
• From there, Houston closes the month of November when it plays host to Norfolk State at 7 p.m., Nov. 29, inside the Fertitta Center. That game will air on ESPN+.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

SUPPORT HOUSTON RISE
Join Houston Rise, a $150 million fundraising campaign for Houston Athletics dedicated to championship success in the Big 12 Conference.

Every Houston Rise contribution prepares our Cougars to compete and win when we start Big 12 competition in July 2023. Click here to rise and be counted.

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 (4687).

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 –

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