PREVIEW: #3/3 Men’s Hoops Meets Texas State on Thursday

HOUSTON – Winners of its first 11 games to open the season, the University of Houston Men's Basketball program returns to the friendly confines of the Fertitta Center to play host to Texas State at 7 p.m., Thursday.

#3/3 Houston enters Thursday's game following a hard-fought 70-66 win over rv/rv Texas A&M during The Halal Guys Showcase inside Toyota Center on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard Emanuel Sharp scored the Cougars' final five points on the way to a team-high 21 points in the win. The Tampa, Fla., native buried a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down to give the Cougars a 68-63 lead with 29 seconds left and later sank a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining for the final margin of victory.

With this week's national rankings, the Cougars appeared in the Associated Press Top 10 for the 26^th consecutive week. That is the second-longest mark in school history and trails only the 33 straight weeks by the 1966-69 teams.

Senior guard LJ Cryer continues to lead the Cougars and ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 17.7 points per game. The Katy, Texas native has scored double-digit points in 10 straight games with four 20-point efforts, including a season-high 24 points against Montana inside Fertitta Center on Nov. 24.

Senior point guard Jamal Shead continues to stand as one of only two student-athletes to rank among the nation's Top-25 leaders in both assists per game and steals per game. Shead leads the Cougars and ranks third in the Big 12 with 6.4 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

GET WELL SOON, T-ARCE
• Sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux underwent successful surgery on the Achilles tendon of his right leg on Wednesday morning and will begin rehabilitation soon.
• The typical recovery time for an Achilles injury is 4-6 months.
• Arceneaux suffered the injury in the first half of Saturday's win over rv/rv Texas A&M during The Halal Guys Showcase inside Toyota Center on Saturday afternoon.

GAME PROMOTIONS
• Shasta and Sasha Claus will be available for pregame photos on the concourse in the Cub Zone, located behind Sections 107-109.
• Fans will receive free Shasta Claus ornaments while supplies last.
• Sam Pyle will perform the national anthem before the game.
• Fans can compete in an Ugly Sweater Contest with the winner being recognized at halftime.

TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Thursday's game on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Matt Thomas (play-by-play), Houston great Reid Gettys (analyst) and Shelby Coppedge (reporter) calling the action.
• Fans can hear Thursday's game on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app with Jeremy Branham (play-by-play) and Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes calling the action. The pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m., Thursday.
• Fans can follow live stats by visiting StatBroadcast.com and following the appropriate links or by clicking here.

ABOUT TEXAS STATE
• Texas State brings a 6-5 record into Thursday's game inside the Fertitta Center.
• The Bobcats are 3-3 in road games during the 2023-24 season.
• Texas State has won its last three games and four of its last five. Only a 77-58 loss at Texas on Nov. 30 prevents a longer winning streak.
• In its most recent action, Texas State hit 66.7 percent (46-of-69) from the field and 52.6 percent (10-of-19) from the 3-point line in taking a 110-68 win over LeTourneau in San Marcos, Texas, on Monday night.
• Against LeTourneau, junior forward Brandon Love led the Bobcats with 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting and three blocked shots and added two rebounds with a pair of assists. Sophomore guard Jordan Mason totaled 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting with a game-high eight assists and tied junior guard Joshua O'Garro for game-high honors with seven rebounds. Junior guard Dontae Horne posted 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting with three rebounds and two assists while senior guard Dylan Dawson added 12 points with three assists in the win.
• This season, Mason leads Texas State with 17.4 points and 2.2 steals per game. Love stands third with 12.2 points per contest and tops the Bobcats with 2.9 blocks per game. Dawson is fourth on the team with 10.5 rebounds per game while Kaden Gumbs averages 10.1 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game. Fifth-year forward Tyrel Morgan averaged 14.0 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds per game but has been sidelined due to injury since the second game of the season.
• Head Coach Terrence Johnson is in his fourth season at Texas State and his fourth as a collegiate head coach.
• Johnson has posted an 61-39 record with Texas State and during his career.
• Johnson has posted an 0-1 record against Houston during his career.
• Johnson has posted an 0-1 record against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• 2001 graduate of Southern.

SERIES HISTORY vs. TEXAS STATE
• Houston owns a 14-2 lead against Texas State in the series, which began during the 1945-46 season.
• Houston has won the last four meetings against the Bobcats, including an 80-47 victory inside Fertitta Center on Dec. 22, 2021, in the most recent meeting.
• Texas State's most recent win was an 81-78 decision in San Marcos, Texas, on Dec. 6, 2011.
at Home: Houston owns a 10-0 lead against Texas State in games on the Cougars' home floor.
• In the most recent home meeting, Houston enjoyed an 80-47 win inside Fertitta Center on Dec. 22, 2021.
• In the first meeting against the Bobcats in Houston, the Cougars claimed a 62-57 win in Houston on Feb. 2, 1946.
in Fertitta Center: Houston is 2-0 against Texas State inside the Fertitta Center during the facility's history.
• In the most recent meeting in Fertitta Center, Houston took an 80-47 win on Dec. 22, 2021.
• In the first meeting in the facility, the Cougars enjoyed a 68-60 win in Dec. 4, 2019.

UP NEXT
• Following Thursday's game, Houston closes out the year 2023 when it meets Penn at 6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30, inside Fertitta Center. That game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
• Houston then opens Big 12 play when it meets West Virginia at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 6, inside Fertitta Center.
• That game will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+
• The Cougars then open Big 12 road play when they face Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum in Ames , Iowa, at 6 p.m., Tuesday. Jan. 9.
• That game will air on ESPN2.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC and the Varsity Network app.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by supporting Linking Coogs – UH's NIL collective, giving to Houston Rise and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

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.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X, formerly known as 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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