Scoring was supposed to be the one thing that came easy for the Cougars this year. Houston was expected to be a run-and-gun team that used fast break points to gain the competitive edge over its opponents.
Unfortunately for head coach Tom Penders, a few players the offense requires to be on point to run smoothly struggled out of the gates, resulting in a season opening 65-63 loss to Georgia Southern on Monday in Durham, N.C.
The Cougars trailed 65-63 with 2:42 remaining in the game following a three-pointer by freshman point guard Desmond Wade. However, junior guard Aubrey Coleman missed a fast break lay-up with 1:35 remaining, and Wade’s desperation heave at the buzzer went awry.
Those were the only two shots the Cougars managed to get off in the turnover-filled, hectic final minutes of the game.
Penders said Coleman and junior forward Qa’rraan Calhoun, who are supposed to play integral roles in the team’s offense this season, seemed to be nervous on the court and played out of character. Those two factors contributed to Houston’s first round loss in the 2K Sports Classic.
"Aubrey (Coleman) has by far been our best and most consistent player in practice," Penders said. "He zoned out tonight. We got a lot of new kids, and some of them we thought looked awfully jittery."
Coleman shot 2-for-12 in his first outing as a Cougar, and Penders said at times it looked like the junior college transfer forced up some questionable shots. On the other hand, he held his own on the defensive side of the ball (three steals) and snagged five boards.
"(Coleman) has got to be a lot more subtle on the court to be effective in our offense," Penders said.
Junior guard Kelvin Lewis and senior center Marcus Cousin turned in decent nights statistically, but Penders said he saw a few things they must concentrate on for their game against Presbyterian.
Cousin finished the game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Lewis shot 5-for-12 from the floor and ended the game with 16 points and two steals.
"We expect to get double-doubles from Cousin," Penders said. "He was much more active and aggressive in the second half than he was in the first, but he’s normally a good free-throw shooter. He went three-for-six."
Penders said Lewis made some buckets for the Cougars, but he also turned the ball over in a few critical situations.
He said that for the first game of their season, the Cougars performed adequately in defending the Golden Eagles. In the second half the Cougars forced them into shooting only 28.6 percent from the floor. The Golden Eagles were also forced into 18 turnovers on the night.
He said closing out defensive plays with rebounds and going after loose balls may have made a difference in the outcome of the game.
"Defensively, we did not do a bad job. We adjusted, challenged shots and turned them over," Penders said. "We had four or five times when we got beat to loose balls. In a close game, those four or five possessions mean a lot."
Houston faces the Presbyterian Blue Hose in the consolation round at 5 p.m. today at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
