#14/14 Men’s Basketball Hoops Closes Regular Season Sunday

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Men's Basketball program wraps up its regular season when it faces American Athletic Conference rival Memphis at 11 a.m., Sunday, inside FedExForum.

Sunday's game will be the finale of a busy stretch for the Cougars, who recently played three home games over a 5-day span inside the Fertitta Center. The matchup against the Tigers will be Houston's fourth in the last eight days.

Riding a six-game winning streak, the Cougars clinched the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship in Tuesday's win over Cincinnati.

This marked the third American regular-season crown in the last four years, a first for the Cougars in any conference. It's also the fourth American title of any kind (regular season or tournament) under Head Coach Kelvin Sampson.

In addition to the regular-season honors, the Cougars also clinched the No. 1 seed at the American Athletic Conference Championship, set for March 10-13 inside Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Houston is the defending tournament champion.

#14/14 Houston enters Sunday's game following an 84-46 win over Temple on Thursday night inside the Fertitta Center. With the team celebrating the final home games for seniors Fabian White Jr., Kyler Edwards, Josh Carlton and Taze Moore, the Cougars used a 33-10 run over the final 11 minutes to take the win.

White led all players with 26 points and posted his third straight game with 20+ points. The Atascocita, Texas, native has competed in 141 games with 115 wins, setting school career records in both categories.

Moore added 19 points with four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals, and Carlton totaled 11 points with a game-high eight rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

This season, Edwards leads the available Cougars with 13.4 points per game. White is a close second with 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest, while Carlton stands third with 12.0 points per game but tops the Cougars with 6.7 rebounds per contest.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on CBS with Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Sunday's game on 950 AM KPRC or on The Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling the action.
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's game on StatBroadcast.

AMONG the BEST
• Through games of March 3, Houston leads the nation in field-goal percentage defense (36.8).
• The Cougars rank among the nation's Top-10 statistical leaders in scoring margin (+18.0, 2nd), scoring defense (58.8, 4th), winning percentage (86.7, 5th), offensive rebounds (13.5, 6th) and rebounding margin (+7.7, 8th)
• Houston stands among the country's Top 25 in blocked shots (5.4, 12th), 3-point field goal percentage defense (29.2, 14th), assists per game (16.4, 145th), assist-turnover ratio (1.45, 15th), rebounds per game (39.8, 17th) and turnover margin (+3.5, 22nd).

STREAKING NATIONALLY
With Monday's release, the Cougars were ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 43^rd consecutive week, extending their school record. Houston has been ranked in every AP poll since Jan. 20, 2019.

This is the fifth straight season under Sampson in which the Cougars were ranked for at least one week. Houston finished at No. 6 in the final AP and at No. 3 in the final Ferris Mowers Coaches polls a year ago after advancing to the sixth NCAA Final Four in school history.

ABOUT MEMPHIS
• Memphis enters Sunday's regular-season finale with an 18-9 overall record and 12-5 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Tigers stand in third in the latest league standings, a half game behind second-place SMU.
• Memphis has posted a 12-2 record in home games this season.
• In its most recent action, Memphis enjoyed a 73-64 road win over South Florida in Tampa on Thursday night.
• It was the Tigers' third straight win and ninth victory in the last 10 outings. Only a 73-57 loss at SMU on Feb. 20 prevents a longer winning streak.
• Against South Florida, freshman center Jalen Duren led the Tigers with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Tyler Harris came off the bench to post 14 points with a pair of 3-pointers. Senior guard Alex Lomax totaled 12 points with a team-high four assists, while senior forward DeAndre Williams and junior guard Lester Quinones added 11 points apiece.
• This season, Duren leads the Tigers with 12.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game. Williams stands second with 11.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while freshman forward Emoni Bates is third with 10.4 points per contest. Junior guard Landers Nolley II is the fourth Tiger in double digits with 10.1 points per game.
• Head Coach Penny Hardaway is in his fourth year at Memphis and as a collegiate head coach.
• Hardaway has compiled an 81-41 record at Memphis and during his career.
• Hardaway has posted a 2-5 record against Houston during his career.
• Hardaway has posted a 2-5 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers
• 2003 graduate of Memphis

SERIES HISTORY vs. MEMPHIS
• Memphis owns a 34-20 lead against Houston in the series, which began during the 1956-57 season.
• Sunday's game is the second of two meetings during the regular season between the two schools. Memphis took a 69-59 win inside the Fertitta Center in Houston on Feb. 12
• Houston has won three of the last four games and five of the last seven Tigers. However, the Tigers can boast of the most recent success after their Feb. 12 win in Houston.
• This is the 28th straight season in which the two schools will play at least once.
• Teams have been conference rivals in three leagues... Completed in Missouri Valley Conference from 1950-51 through 1959-60 season and played twice each year through 1962-63 season after Houston began competition as an independent.
• Competed as Conference USA rivals from 2005-06 season through 2012-13... Began playing as American Athletic Conference rivals during 2014-15 season.
• Series started with an 87-78 Memphis win in Houston on Dec. 8, 1956.
on Road: Memphis owns a 21-5 lead in the series against Memphis in games played in Memphis, Tenn..
• Memphis enjoyed the most recent success in Memphis, Tenn., with a 60-59 win inside FedExForum on Feb. 22, 2020.
• The schools have alternated wins and losses in the last four games.
• In the first road meeting in the series, Memphis claimed a 96-86 win in Memphis, Tenn., on Feb. 16, 1957.

2022-23 SEASON TICKETS PRIORITY WAIT LIST
Fans who were unable to secure 2021-22 season tickets may start preparing for next season by putting down a $75 deposit and placing their names on the 2022-23 Men's Basketball Season Ticket Priority Wait List by clicking here.

UP NEXT
• Following Sunday's game, the Cougars take their first steps in the postseason when it competes in the American Athletic Conference Championship Quarterfinals on Friday, March 11.
• Houston's will compete in the Quarterfinals as the No. 1 seed at Noon, Friday, against an opponent to be determined with the end of the regular season on Sunday. The game will air on ESPN2.
• With a win in the Quarterfinals, the Cougars advance to the Semifinals, set for 2 p.m., Saturday. That game will air on ESPN2
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC.

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.

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