Houston forward Joseph Tugler (11) dunks on Hofstra forward Joshua DeCady (4) during the first half an NCAA college men’s basketball match, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
No. 7 Houston demolished Hofstra 80-44 inside the Fertitta Center for their 25th straight win in the arena. The Houston bench scored 44 points. Had the Houston reserves competed with Hofstra they would have tied the contest.
Sophomore forward Joseph Tugler led the charge by scoring a career-high 17 points on perfect shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers. He added four rebounds, four assists and a block to round out his performance. Redshirt sophomore guard Terrance Arceneaux scored 12 with three rebounds.
The performance prompted reflection for the Cougars who were without those critical pieces for much of last season due to season-ending surgeries.
“We silently cried with those guys because that was a major hit for them-taking that part of their life away,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “Equally we had it taken away from us. The team that won the Big 12 last season was really good but not nearly as good enough as it would have been with them.”
With the pair healthy and back in action, Houston is focused on building momentum with the understanding anything can happen.
“Do you understand what a bad call does to a team, or a missed free throw or a sprained ankle? That’s why you don’t ever focus on the destination,” Sampson said. “You take pride and joy in going through the journey. However it ends up, it ends up. But don’t ever judge your season on how you finish. Judge it on how hard you tried and whether you did the best you could. If we do that, then it’s fine.”
Tonight, it was smooth sailing. UH went on a 19-3 run to take a 48-18 lead ahead of the half. Although the starters went 6/19 from the field in the first 20 minutes, the reserves made up for it by shooting 12/16 from the floor.
Redshirt junior guard Emanuel Sharp was immune from the starters’ shooting struggles as he downed five 3-pointers and totaled 16 points by the end of the matchup.
The Cougars are now 3-1 on the season and will begin their first road trip next week. They will travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the inaugural Players Era Tournament and play No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 26.
