No. 8 Houston didn’t waste any time putting Jacksonville State away Wednesday night at Fertitta Center. The Cougars rolled to a 92-46 win, moved to 3-0, and kept showing the kind of balance that has made them look sharp on both ends this early in the season.
The opening minutes set the tone fast. Senior forward Joseph Tugler got Houston started with four early points, including a jumper from outside the paint, and the Cougars kept stacking possessions from there. Senior forward Delrecco Gillespie and senior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. each knocked down threes, while junior guard Mercy Miller and freshman center Arafan Diane finished through contact on and-ones as Houston kept attacking the rim.
That surge pushed the Cougars to a 22-3 lead at the 11:33 mark of the first half. Jacksonville State finally found some open looks and trimmed the margin to 25-15 with 8:43 left before halftime, but Houston answered quickly and went into the break up 45-23.
The free-throw line was a major part of the story again. Houston has leaned hard into paint touches and rim pressure this season, and that approach has already turned into a steady stream of foul shots.
Against the Gamecocks, the Cougars went 27-for-32 at the line, an 84 percent clip. In the season opener against La Salle, Houston was 27-for-37 from the stripe.
Thomas continued to drive the offense and led Houston in scoring for the third straight game, finishing with 17 points and seven assists. Miller gave the Cougars their biggest scoring night from him so far this season, finishing with 15 points, five assists and four rebounds while going 6-for-8 at the line.
Houston also got strong production from the bench. Senior guard Chendall Weaver, who is currently eligible because of a temporary restraining order, scored 10 points in 11 minutes and added four rebounds.
Weaver went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. Backup big men Diane and junior Braden East chipped in nine and eight points, respectively, and redshirt freshman Bryce Jackson added four points as Houston finished with 43 bench points.
Jacksonville State, which entered at 1-1, fell to 1-2.
Houston’s next test comes Tuesday against Rutgers in the opener of the Player’s Era Tournament.
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