In the final non-conference game of the season, it was the young guns that shined for No. 3 UH in its 83-44 win over McNeese State on Tuesday night at Fertitta Center.
Whenever Emanuel Sharp had the ball in his hands with a sliver of space beyond the arc, McNeese State was in trouble.
Sharp hit six 3s on his way to a career-high 18 points.
Sophomore forward Ja’Vier Francis collected his third double-double of the season, setting a new career-high in scoring with 23 points while also pulling down 13 boards, seven of which came on the offensive glass.
“Every minute that Ja’Vier gets is just an investment for our program and for him. Same thing for Emmanuel,” said UH head coach Kelvin Sampson. “We’ve got good young players but they’re playing on a veteran team.”
Marcus Sasser was also hot from deep, going 5-for-10 from 3-point range and finishing with 17 points.
With the win, UH finished non-conference play at 12-1.
Tied 7-7 early, UH used a 20-2 run over a stretch lasting nearly nine minutes to break the game open.
Sharp hit a buzzer-beating 3 to end the first as half. The redshirt freshman guard and Sasser went a combined 9-for-14 from 3 in the game’s first 20 minutes.
The Cougars shot 14-of-33 from 3 as a team.
“The good thing about our 3s tonight was who was taking them,” Sampson said. “Our two best 3-point shooters are Marcus and Emmanuel. Shot selection is important. Our kids know that.”
UH committed just four fouls on the night, the lowest in program history.