Guard Caleb Mills scored 21 in Houston’s road loss to Oregon on Friday night. | Trevor Nolley/The Cougar
Houston was unable to keep pace with No. 11 Oregon on Friday night as they suffered a 78-66 loss behind an abysmal 2 for 20 shooting from behind the 3-point line.
The first half between Houston and Oregon began slowly for both sides as neither team could find a groove offensively.
In the first 10 minutes of the game, both teams scored only 20 points combined.
However in the final 10 minutes of the first half, the script completely changed as both teams put up 40 points.
The Cougars’ offense woke up from its slumber first as UH went on a 12-4 run after both teams were tied at 10, but the Ducks responded to Houston’s initial punch with an 18-5 run to end the half.
The Ducks led 33-27 at the break.
Junior forward Fabian White Jr. led the way for the team with six points and five rebounds at halftime. Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes also had six points at the midpoint.
The second half began with a back-and-forth, shot-for-shot contest between the two teams, but Houston was unable to consistently keep matching Oregon’s offense, and the Ducks were able to create substantial separation.
After a jumper from White with 17:17 left in the game that cut Oregon’s lead to 35-39, the Ducks rattled off six-straight points, which gave them their first double-digit lead of the contest, and they never looked back.
The Ducks outscored Houston 31-14 after the 17:17 mark.
During the run, Houston’s defense began getting gashed on almost every possession.
The Ducks got anything they wanted offensively down the stretch. From layups, to easy drives down into the lane, to 3-point shots, Houston had no answer.
Oregon led by as many as 21.
Houston finished the game 27 of 65 from the field, with 18 of those misses coming from 3’s.
The Cougars finished with 38 rebounds, including 17 offensive boards, and had nine turnovers.
Freshman guard Caleb Mills led the Cougars in the loss with 21 points and four rebounds. He was responsible for the only two 3-point makes for Houston.
Houston returns to the Fertitta Center on Tuesday night as they will host Houston Baptist.
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