Houston Cougars win first game of China trip

Photo by University of Houston Athletics Communications Office.
Used with permission.

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

HEFEI, CHINA (August 14, 2-015) The Houston Cougars jumped out to a 51-49 lead at halftime and came back hard in the second half to down the Chinese Junior National Team by the score of 93-83 at Golden Seed Arena in Hefei, China on Friday, August 14, 2015. The game was the first contest in the Cougars’ 10-day, four-game trip to China.

Houston was led by junior guard Damyean Dotson, who scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds; seven of which were on the defensive end of the court.  Nine of Dotson’s 21 points were from beyond the three-point line.

Dotson, a 2012 graduate of Houston’s Jack Yates High School, played his first two college seasons at Oregon prior to transferring to Houston. He sat out the 2014-2015 season as a red-shirt sophomore while attending Houston Community College.

Teammates Galen Robinson, Jr., a 6-10 freshman from Westbury Christian High School, and Robert Gray, Jr. also scored in double-digits. Both guards scored 14 points in the Houston effort. In addition, junior center Kyle Meyer chipped in 14 points, along with pulling down seven rebounds.  

The Chinese Junior National Team held a 30-28 lead at the end of the first quarter and rallied to tie the score in the fourth quarter at 67. At that point, Gray, Jr. and Robinson, Jr. combined to score 12 points to give Houston the lead, of which they would not relinquish the rest of the contest.

The Cougars will play three more games on their China trip. They will again face the Chinese Junior National Team on Saturday, August 15 in Wangiiang, Sunday, August 16 in Taihu, and Monday, August 17 in Tongling. They will return to Houston on Thursday, August 20. At games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. China Standard Time, which is thirteen hours ahead of Houston time.