Houston Cougars overpowered by No. 18 USF in women's basketball action

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 9, 2021) The Houston Cougars women's basketball team was overpowered by 18/19 USF on Saturday evening inside the Yuengling Center, falling to the Bulls in a 80-51 decision. Two Cougars posted double-figure efforts, led by Miya Crump with a season-high 16 points. Daphane White led Houston on the boards with six rebounds. Dymond Gladney paced Houston with three assists, adding in a team-high four steals. 

Julia Blackshell-Fair was second on the team in scoring with 10 points, also racking up four steals. 

Houston forced USF to turn the ball over a season-high 21 times. The Houston bench outscored the Bulls bench 30-29. 

 USF had five players in double-figures, led by Maria Alvarez with 21 points. USF got out to an early lead after hitting 7 of its first 11 shots from the field. Jazmaine Lewis and Julia Blackshell-Fair provided an early spark for the Cougars. Lewis cleaned up the boards and scored two early baskets off second chance opportunities and Blackshell-Fair hit the driving lanes hard in the opening minutes of play. The Cougars found a rhythm late in the frame and embarked on a 9-0 scoring run, highlighted by back-to-back points off USF turnovers and two assists from Laila Blair to take a 21-20 lead at the break. 

Houston continued to force USF to make mistakes, but a Bull scoring surge midway through the second quarter resulted in a 34-34 stalemate with 3:56 left in the half. The Bulls continued to make shots from deep, but the Cougars kept things close with a strong defensive presence. As time winded down Blackshell-Fair remained aggressive and found her way to the free throw line with only seconds remaining. After making her second attempt at the charity stripe, she snagged the Cougars seventh steal of the night. Dymond Gladney capped off the play with a lay-up as the buzzer sound. 

The Bulls stifled the Cougar offense in the third quarter, as Houston was outscored 19-5 in the frame. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars offensive struggles continued as they were outscored 17-8.

Houston Knocks Off Oklahoma in Season Opener

Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Athletics

Onyeje paces the Cougars with 23 points

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 25. 2020) The University of Houston Women’s Basketball team opened its season with an 97-85 win over Big 12 foe Oklahoma on Wednesday afternoon at the Lloyd Noble Center.

 

Four Cougars turned in double-figure scoring efforts led by redshirt sophomore, Britney Onyeje with a team-high 23 points in her collegiate debut. Julia Blackshell-Fair nearly had a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, as Dymond Gladney (shown right) led UH in assists with seven.

 

Houston shot 43.6 percent from the field, including 31.1 percent from three-point range.

 

Oklahoma’s Madi Williams led all scorers with 25 points, as Mandy Simpson posted a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

 

Houston set the the tone early via a 7-2 scoring run in the first two minutes of the game. Julia Blackshell-Fair scored the first Cougar basket of the 2020-21 season, driving through the lane after gaining control of the jump ball. Sharpshooting and tough defense helped Oklahoma even things up at the halfway point of the frame, 11-11. Both teams went back-and-forth for the remainder of the first quarter before a timely three-point basket from junior Ca’Leyah Burrell gave Houston a one-point advantage at the quarter break.

 

Leading 26-25, Houston turned things up defensively in the second quarter and ultimately outscored Oklahoma 20-19. Blackshell-Fair remained poised, but aggressive earning three trips to the free throw line where she knocked down 5-of-6 free throw attempts. UH forced four OU turnovers, outscoring the Sooners 7-3 off turnovers to close out the frame. As time dwindled down, Houston redshirt senior Eryka Sidney dribbled to the top of the key where she sank a jump shot with only second left on the clock to give UH a 46-44 lead at the half.

 

The third quarter would be the turning point for the Cougars as Houston outscored Oklahoma 27-17. UH got going from behind the three-point line, knocking down four of its seven attempts. Onyeje paced the Cougars, scoring 13 of her 23 points during the third quarter, including three made three-pointers. Houston held Oklahoma to 16.7 percent shooting from three-point range, outscoring OU 6-0 in transition.

 

The Houston defense kept things tight as time winded down, forcing six fourth quarter turnovers. Fouls plagued the Cougars as Oklahoma managed to chip away at UH’s lead with help from trips to the free throw line. Freshman, Laila Blair had the hot hand in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of Houston’s 24 fourth quarter points. The Cougars held on, late ultimately picking up its second straight win over the Sooners.

     

Houston will head to Tuscaloose to face Alabama on Nov. 29. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

Houston Cougars to face Akron Zips in first round of NIT

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 12, 2017) The Houston Cougars have extended their season by receiving an invitation to compete in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). They will be the No.2 seed in the Cal Bracket and will face the No. 7 seed Akron Zips on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. The game will be played in the H&PE Arena on the campus of Texas Southern University in Houston. With the Cougars’ home venue, Hofheinz Pavilion, in early stages of renovation, Houston officials opted to host, as the higher seed, and obtained permission from TSU.

The Cougars, who finished their season with a 22-11 record, will face a Zips’ team that won the Mid-American Conference East and were the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament. They advanced to the tournament final when they lost to No. 6 seed Kent State by the score of 70-65. Houston finished the regular season 21-10 overall and 12-6 for a third-place finish in the regular-season standings in the American Athletic Conference. Entering Wednesday’s game, Houston has won eight of its last 11 games.

Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT with doors opening at 5 p.m.

Houston downs USF in final game at Hofheinz Pavilion

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications 

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 5, 2017)  Ron Gray chipped in 24 points to give the Houston Cougars a 73-51 win over the East Carolina Pirates and secure the No. 3 seed for the American Athletic Conference basketball tournament. The win closed out the regular season for both teams was the final game inside Hofheinz Pavilion. Beginning this week, a total renovation of the facility will begin with a scheduled completion date in time for the 2018-2019 season.

Before the game, the Cougars honored their five senior players, center Kyle Meyer, guard Damyean Dotson, center Bertrand Nkali, forward Xavier Dupree and forward Danrad Knowles and their families at the center of the Guy V. Lewis Court. The Cougars will face the winner of the UConn and USF game. The No. 6 Huskies and the No. 11 Bulls will play on Thursday, March 9, with a 9 p.m. EST tipoff.

UConn Huskies fall to Houston Cougars 75-70

Damyean Dotson (21) scored 25 points
and had nine rebounds against UConn.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

(To access the slideshow from the game by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography, please click here.)

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 22, 2017) The UConn Huskies jumped out to a 39-29 lead at halftime and but could not contain the offense punch of the Houston Cougars in the second half and dropped a 75-70 decision at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Wednesday, February 22, 2017. The Cougars raised their American Athletic Conference record to 10-5 with three games to go on their regular season schedule. The win placed the Cougars in sole possession of third place in conference standings.

Rob Gray (32) scored 16 of UH's 75 points.
Photo by Darla S. Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

The Cougars, who seemed like a different team in the second half, outscored the Huskies 46-31 in the final 20 minutes. Starting guard Damyean Dotson, who scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds, led the Cougars in scoring. Rob Gray tallied 16 points in Houston's winning effort with Devin Davis adding 11. Kyle Meyer, who seemed to be all over the court scored nine points with 11 rebounds. The Huskies had three players in double-digits; Jalen Adams (18), Vance Jackson (16) and Rodney Purvis (11).

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson was talked about the Cougars performance after the game.

“Obviously UConn did a good job of punching us in the first half. I didn’t think we responded well. In the second half, there was no raised voices, no panicking. If we are the better team, then we are going to win, and we felt like we were. We came out and made some adjustments to our zone. Our zone was a better force in this game coming in because of Jalen Adams’ ability to get in the paint. He’s really good in the pick and roll so we made a couple adjustments in our zone. We started competing harder. It really comes down to what you say or do at halftime. Simple adjustment of the zone and staying with it. These two guys, Kyle Meyer and Damyean Dotson are playing like seniors. Kyle Meyer played his best game since he’s been here. Dotson got back on the boards. For people to say that Dotson is just a scorer are losing sight of what he is really good at. Last couple games he hasn’t, but Dotson is only one of two guys that is ranked in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding in this league. Look at the position he plays, that is pretty special. We played smart but we did not shoot the ball well. Rob (Gray), Galen (Robinson) and Wes (VanBeck) were 3-22. Digest that for a minute, two of them are outstanding shooters. Rob 3-10, Wes 0-4 and Galen 1-8. Our back court was 3-22 and we won the game. It’s because we defended and rebounded. Look at their (UConn’s) size, how big they are. We won the boards. If Dotson didn’t get 9 and Kyle didn’t get 11 we aren’t going to win the boards. The combination of Devin (Davis) and Danrad (Knowles) was really well tonight. Devin and Danrad did some good things. Collectively, they were pretty good. It’s good to get to 19 wins. It’s good to get to third place and get to our 10th conference win. It is that time of year, as soon as the game is over"

Houston is 2-0 against UConn this season, beating the Huskies 62-46 on December 28, 2016 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Next up for the Cougars is a February 26 match-up against Memphis and a March 2  game against No. 15/16 Cincinnati. Both games are on the road. They will return to Hofheinz on March 5 for their final regular season game against East Carolina.

Houston falls to No. 19 SMU in close-fought match

Photo by Darla Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 18, 2017) After leading the SMU Mustangs by 13 points at the 10:23 mark in the first half, the Houston Cougars fell behind in second half scoring and dropped a 76-66 decision to their American Athletic Conference rival at Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday February 18, 2017. The 8,479 fans in attendance saw the No. 19 Mustangs outscore the Cougars 50-36 in the second half to secure the win and remain atop the conference standings.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson talked about the game in the post-game presser.

“A big part of that game is when Rob Gray picked up his fourth foul with 12:40 to go, and obviously he was cooking. We do not have that type of team. They have other weapons. We have Damyean Dotson and Rob Gray. We cannot play without them for an extended stretch. We played great defense for large portions of the shot clock and the next thing you know, it’s a one-and-one. Sometimes that’s frustrating. That was a frustrating game. I am not disappointed in my guys’ effort. I am certainly disappointed that we lost. We were ready to play and well prepared mentally. Those guys did a good job of getting themselves ready to play. You have to make your one-and-ones, free throws and open shots. After all that, the Murphy’s Law that seemed to be working against us, with 5:14 to go we were tied. Rob sat over there for five minutes, and the problem was how well he was playing. He was starting to get it going. When we have Rob and Dotson going at the same time, we are good. Give SMU credit. That is a good team. They are ranked 19th, but they are better than that which tells you how good we are too. Let’s not act like this was not a game that could have went either way for a long time. Sometimes you have to get some breaks and sometimes you have to make your breaks. When the opportunity is there, you have to take advantage of it. We got beat by a good team. I would have liked to see some things a little bit different.”

Photo by Darla Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved

Houston had three players in double figures. Rob Gray led the way with 23 points, followed by Damyean Dotson with 19 and Galen Robinson, Jr. with 11. Gray also tallied six rebounds. The Mustangs were led by Semi Ojeleye with 22 points along with Ben Moore with 18 points and 13 rebounds. With the win, the Mustangs stay atop the conference standings with a 14-1 record. They are followed by Cincinnati in second place (13-1) and Houston (9-5). The Cougars will face fourth place Connecticut (8-5) on Wednesday, February 22 at home with an 8 p.m. tip off.

Houston falls to SMU 66-45 in women's college basketball action

Photo by Robert H Kelly

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 21, 2017) The Houston Cougars could not contain the offensive punch for the SMU Mustangs and as a result, dropped a 66-45 decision at Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday, January 21, 2017. Freshman Jasmyne Harris came off the bench to score 16 points, with Jacqueline Blake adding 11 points to lead the Cougars. The Cougars were down by one at halftime, but a sluggish second half, where the Mustangs outscored Houston 38-18 sealed the Cougars’ fate. The Mustangs’ starting forward Alicia Froling tallied her 13^th double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Starting guard McKenzie Adams added 17 points for the Mustangs.

Houston fell to 1-5 in conference play while SMU raised their record to 2-4. Next up for the Cougars is a January 25 matchup against Memphis on the road.

Houston downs Tulsa 64-61 in mid-week basketball action

Photo by Robert H Kelly

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (January 4, 2016) The Houston Cougars, without the services of Rob Gray, downed the Tulsa Golden Hurricane by the score of 64-61 at Hofheinz Pavilion on Wednesday, January 4, 2016. The win moved the Cougars to 3-0 in American Athletic Conference action sand sets up a Saturday, January 7 meeting with No. 22 Cincinnati. Houston was paced by Wes VanBeck, who was pressed into service in the starting lineup due to Gray’s illness scored a career-high 16 points along with going 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Tulsa dropped to 7-7 overall and 1-1 in American play with the loss. Damyean Dotson led the Cougars with 18 points, with Danrad Knowles and Galen Robinson Jr. adding 10 points each. Corey Henderson led Tulsa with 16 points.

Houston moves to 2-0 in AAC play with 70-56 win over USF

The Houston Cougars return home on Wednesday, January 4 to face Tulsa.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Chris Price
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

TAMPA, FLORIDA (December 31, 2016) The Houston Cougars raised their American Athletic Conference record to 2-0 with a 70-56 win over South Florida at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, December 31, 2016. Three Cougars scored in double figures; with Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson tallying 25 points each, followed by Wes VanBeck with 11. The Cougars shot 42% from the field and pulled down 38 rebounds. The Bulls were led by Troy Holston with 16 points.

The Cougars will return to the friendly confines of Hofheinz Pavilion for a two-game home stand beginning on Wednesday, January 4 with an 8 p.m. CT matchup against Tulsa. They follow that game on Saturday, January 7; facing No. 23 Cincinnati at 8 p.m.

Houston Cougars fall to Harvard Crimson 57-56 in college basketball action

Rob Gray (32) scored 15 points and pulled
down six rebounds against Harvard.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 23, 2016) Entering the second half with a slim 34-30 over the Harvard, the Houston Cougars dropped a 57-56 decision to the Crimson in front of 4,004 fans at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Friday. December 23, 2016. The loss drops the Cougars to 9-3 on the season as they prepare to begin their American Athletic Conference schedule on December 28 against UConn in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Cougars shot 33% from the field, their third lowest for the season, with Rob Gray connecting for 15 points. No other Cougar was in double digits, with Danrad Knowles added nine and Galen Robinson, Jr. contributed eight. Damyean Dotson led all Cougars with seven rebounds, all on the defensive end of the court. Houston led for most of the game with the Crimson taking the

Wes VanBeck (12) scored six points and
tallied three rebounds in his first career start for Houston.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

lead 57-56 with 1:10 remaining in the game. The contest was at a standstill for 2:59 in the second half until Robinsonree throw to put Houston up 40-36. The score remained at 40-36 for that time until Bertrand Nkali hit a three-point to break the scoreless streak. Houston led by nine at the 10:18 mark in the second half and held the until Harvard scored a layup by Zena Edosomwan to take the lead with 1:10 remaining. Wes VanBeck, the hard-working guard for Houston got his first career start against Harvard, playing 26 minutes, scoring six points, and pulling down three defensive rebounds. Bryce Allen came off the bench for Harvard, scoring 21 points, which tied his season high that came against Stanford on November 12, 2016.

After beginning conference on the road on December 28, they travel to Florida to take on UCF on New Year‘s Eve. They return home on January 4, 2017 to face Tulsa with an 8 p.m. CST start. Harvard will host Howard University at home on December 30 to close out 2016.

Houston Cougars top UT Rio Grande Valley 83-58

Houston head coach Kelvin Sanpson has the Cougars
out to an 8-2 record for the 2016-2017 season.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography,
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 17, 2016) The Houston Cougars jumped out to a 39-26 lead in the first half and went on to down the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros by the score of 83-58 in front of a small but vocal crowd at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, Texas on Saturday, December 17, 2016. The win pushed the Cougars to 8-2 for the season and gives them a 12-0 record against the Vaqueros. Starting forwards Danrad Knowles and Damyean Dotson, along with starting guard Rob Gary combined for 55 of the Cougars’ points. Dotson led all scorers with 25 points, followed by Gray with 16 and Knowles with 14. Armoni Brooks came off the bench to add 10, with Wes VanBeck contributing nine. The Cougars shot 51% from the field and 75% from the free throw line. Dotson tallied 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. For the Vaqueros, Antonio Green tallied 11 points.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson discussed the Cougars' performance in the post-game press conference

We came out and played really hard from the start. We were pleased with a lot of guys effort tonight. I’m disappointed with some things that we just have to keep working on. We must get our bigs to rebound, that’s the bottom line. We play these other teams that have really good offensive rebounding bigs. Our guards are going to do a good job rebounding. I’m really pleased with our guards rebounding. We emphasize that a lot obviously. Danrad Knowles is scoring the ball better. We’re going to him, we have a lot of confidence in Knowles. Knowles only had one rebound today, that’s not going to be good enough . With our team going on, we didn’t play well in a couple games early. We’re a lot better team today than we were then. We are going to be a lot better a month from now then we are today. Losing games is not an issue. I don’t ever worry about that. What I worry about is how do we get better. I’m excited that we have a team that can continue to get better.

Next up for the Cougars will be a Wednesday, December 21 matchup against Liberty College, followed two days later with their final non-conference game against Harvard. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. CST start at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Second half surge leads Houston Cougars to 82-77 win over Rhode Island Rams

Photo by Robert Kelly, Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 10, 2016) The Houston Cougars poured it on in the second half, and went on to down the Rhode Island Rams by the score of 82-77 at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, Texas on Saturday, December 10, 2016. The win raises the Cougars to 7-2 on the season, while the formally ranked Rams dropped to 6-4. The duo of Rob Gray and Danrad Knowles combined for 55 of the Cougars’ 82 points in the win. Gray, a 6-2 junior from Forest City, North Carolina, scored a season high 30 points and was 14-of-16 from the free throw line. Knowles, who hails from Nassau, Bahamas, punched in 25 points and was 11-of-12 from the line. His 25 points were a career high for the 6-10 senior forward.

Houston took their first lead of the game at the 15:38 mark in the second half; connecting on one of his two three-pointers of the night to give the Cougars a 48-46 lead. From that point on, the game was a give-and-take affair building a 67-62 lead with 6:25 remaining in the game. The Rams battled back to tie the score at 68 at the 3:55 mark. After that, Houston put on the accelerator and jumped out to an eight-point lead with 24 seconds remaining.  The Cougars outscored the Rams 14-9 in the final minutes of the game to secure the win.

The win was the fifth in the series against Rhode Island, dating back to December 26, 1964. The Cougars won that matchup 74-68 at home, following it up with wins on February 12, 1989 (85-71) and December 27, 2015 (67-41). Their last two games against the Rams were on the road, with the Cougars winning 102-99 in overtime on November 13, 2006. Last season, they dropped a 67-57 decision at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island.

Next up for the Cougars will be a 7 p.m. matchup against UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday, December 17, 2016., with the home stand continuing against Liberty (December 21 at 7 p.m.) and Harvard (December 23 at 7 p.m.). They kick off their American Athletic Conference schedule on December 28 against Connecticut on December 28 in Hartford.

Houston kicks off season with 93-52 win over Morgan State

Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 11, 2016) The Houston Cougars outscored the Morgan State Bears 45 to 19 in the first half, and went on to down the Morgan State Bears by the score of 93-52 in front of 3,005 basketball fans at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston, Texas on Friday, November 11, 2016. The Cougars had four players scoring in double digits, including starting forward Devin Davis. The junior transfer from Indianapolis, Indiana tallied 19 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for the Cougars’ first double-double of the season. Starting guard Rob Gray led all scorers with 22 points, with Danrad Knowles and Damyean Dotson adding 14 and 13 points, respectively.

Twelve Houston players saw action against the Bears with nine contributing points. Morgan State had two players scoring in double digits; Tiwian Kendley scored 18 points while Phillip Carr added 16. In the two teams only previous meeting; Houston beat the Bears 72-57 on November 22, 2014. Next up for the Cougars will be their second and final exhibition game of the season when they take on Angelo State on Wednesday, November 16, 2014 with a 7 p.m. tipoff at Hofheinz Pavilion. 

Houston Cougars down UNC Pembroke 94-67 in exhibition basketball action

Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (November 5, 2016) With four players scoring in double digits, the Houston Cougars downed the University of North Carolina Pembroke by the score of 94-67 at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The game was first of two exhibition games for the Cougars prior to the start of the 2016-2017 season.

Starting guards Damyean Dotson and Rob Gray, Jr. scored 23 and 22 points respectively, starting forward Devin Davis tallied 16 while junior Wes VanBeck came off the bench to add 10. Eleven Houston players saw action against Pembroke with nine contributing to the Cougars’ point tally.  Houston shot 50% from the field (32-64) while completing 22-of-26 shots from the free throw line. They were also 8-of-24 (33.3% from three-point range. Davis led all players with nine rebounds, with Danrad Knowles and Dotson each pulling down eight. Andrew Evans and Akia Pruitt came off the bench to score 16 and 14 points, respectively for Pembroke.

Next up for Houston is a November 11 matchup against Morgan State at Hofheinz Pavilion. They will follow that game up with a November 16, 2016 home game against San Angelo State.

Dotson, Artis file lawsuit against University of Oregon

Daymean Dotson is asking for $10 million in damages
from the University of Oregon.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved.

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 15, 2016) It has been reported by ESPN and The Oregonian on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 that University of Houston junior guard Damyean Dotson, along with fellow University of Oregon player Dominic Artis, have filed a lawsuit against the University of Oregon for their dismissal from the university following a sexual assault investigation. The dismissal came in May, 2014 after accusation of the rape of a fellow student at a campus party. Neither player was charged in the matter. The suit is asking for $10 million for both Dotson and Artis. The suit was filed four months after former teammate Brandon Austin initiated his own legal action against the university in the dismissal, asking for $7.5 million in damages.

Subsequent to the dismissal from the University of Oregon, Dotson transferred to the University of Houston, after attending Houston Community College from 2014 to 2015. He started in 31 games for the Cougars in 205-2016, averaging 13.9 points per game while shooting 50.5% from the field. He connected for 62 three-pointers, shooting 36.9% from beyond the arc. In addition, he averaged 6.81 rebounds for the season along with 39 assists six blocked shots and 20 steals.

The Houston native played his high school ball at Jack Yates (Houston) High School, where he was named the 2012 Greater Houston Player of the Year and was selected Class 4A All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors his senior year. As a freshman at Oregon, Dotson was named to the Kyle Macy Freshman All-American Team in 2013 along with being named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team. The American Athletic Conference honored Dotson with an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.

Dotson will lead the Houston Cougars in the National Invitational Tournament with a first-round game against Georgia Tech on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 with an 8 p.m. CST tipoff at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia.

Houston Cougars drop first conference game of season to Tulane Green Wave

Photo by Darla S. Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (December 30, 2015) Marche’ Amerson scored 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds, but it was not enough as the Houston Cougars dropped a 70-48 decision to the Tulane Green Wave at Avon B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday, December 30, 2015. The game was the first American Athletic Conference game for both teams and their final game of 2015.

The Cougars trailed 38-16 at the half; shooting 23% and improved to 40% in the second half. They shot 32% (19-60) from the field, 17% (3-18) from three-point range, and 47% (7-15) from the line in the final game stats. The Cougars' bench scored 24 points in the effort, along with 12 second-chance points. Amerson’s seven rebounds was a season high for the senior from Bryan, Texas. Chyanne Butler scored eight points for the Cougars, while teammates Jacqueline Blake and Jessieka Palmer added seven points each.

Houston head coach Ronald Hughey discussed the Houston effort with the media at the post-game press conference.

Photo by Darla S. Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

“We didn’t come out with a lot of focus and energy in the beginning. It’s all about energy and effort: especially when you’re playing a good team. You can’t have live ball turnovers to allow them to get into transition, and you have to rebound the basketball. Those two things we didn’t do well to start out. But, we’ll get back and fix things, and watch the Peach Bowl, and support the football team, and then we’ll go to practice.”

For the Green Wave, Leslie Vorpahl scored 25 points; a season high for the junior guard who played her high school ball at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas. Senior forward Tierra Jones got her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Kolby Morgan also scored 12 points for Tulane.

Next up for the Cougars, who fell to 4-8 for the season, will be the Temple Owls in a 2 p.m. CST matchup in Houston on January 2, 2016. The Owls are 7-4 for the season and 1-0 in conference play. The Green Wave, as result of the win over Houston, are 10-3 for the season, will next play Memphis on January 3, 2016 on the road.

Houston Cougars down Nicholls Colonels 76-49 prior to starting conference play

The Cougars raised their season mark to 10-2 with a
76-49 win over the Nicholls Colonels.
Photo by Robert H Kelly

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 28, 2015) In a game that saw 35 defensive rebounds by the Cougars, Houston raised their season record to 10-2 with a 76-49 win over the Nicholls Colonels on Monday, December 28, 2015 at Hofheinz Pavilion. Three Cougars scored in double figures and one player contributed with 10 assists.

Houston jumped out to a 31-20 lead at halftime, and poured it on with 45 points in the second half. Starting guard Devonta Pollard led the Cougars with his third highest point total of the season; 18 points. The senior from Porterville, Mississippi also tallied eight rebounds, four at each end of the court, while shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 4-4 from the line. Damyean Dotson scored 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Rob Gray, Jr. added 14 points and five defensive rebounds. Pollard, who saw 27 minutes of playing time, added three assists, two blocks and one steal to his season stats.

The Cougars scored 27 points off the bench with Eric Weary, Jr. and Wes Van Beck contributing eight points each and Danrad Knowles chipping in six. Houston tallied 20 second chance points and shot 46% from the field in the winning effort.

For the Colonels, Quinton Thomas came off the bench to score 15 points, with Ja’Dante’ Frye and Liam Thomas added nine points each. With the loss, Nicholls falls to 4-9 in their last game of 2015 and prior to the start of their conference schedule against Lamar. Houston will finished off 2015 on the road with their first conference game against USF on December 30.

Houston falls to UTRGV 55-44 in women's college basketball action

Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 20, 2015) Houston Cougars' starting forward Seritia Hawkins get her first double-double of the season, but her performance was not enough to curtail the offensive punch of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as they dropped a 55-45 decision at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on Sunday, December 20, 2015. The freshman guard, who played her prep ball at Southmoore High School in Moore, Oklahoma, scored 13 point and pulled down 11 rebounds. Teammate Tyler Gilbert scored 12 point off the bench in the Cougars’ effort.

The Cougars held a 9-5 lead after 10 minutes of play, with turnovers playing a key role in the score. UTRGV had five, while Houston posted eight. Houston shot 40% from the field, but the Vaqueros could only manage 16%. Both teams picked up the pace in the second quarter with the score being tied at 23 at halftime. Houston fell to 38% in shooting with UTRGV picking theirs to 33%. Turnovers continued to play a part of the game with both teams adding six more in the second quarter. The third quarter saw the Vaqueros score nine points to jump ahead of the Cougars by the score of 42-36. The fourth quarter was the clincher for UTRGV as they outscored the Cougars 13-9 to take the game. The Vaqueros had two players scoring in double figures. Starting guard Shawnte’ Goff scored 16 points, while starting forward Hild Kjartansdottir tallied 14.

With the loss, the Cougars fall to 4-7 for the season, while UTRGV goes to 7-6. Houston will have 10 days off to prepare for the Tulane Green Wave on December 30, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rio Grande Valley will face Evengel on the same date at home.

Houston downs Eastern Illinois 81-65 in men's basketball

Photo by Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 19, 2015) The Houston Cougars raised their season record to 8-1 as they downed Eastern Illinois by the score of 81-65 at Hofheinz Pavilion in Houston on December 19, 2015. The second round of the Global Sports Classic saw three Cougars scoring in double figures.

Starting guard Ronnie Johnson scored 25 points in the effort; with Damyean Dotson and Galen Robinson, Jr. scoring 16 and 11 points, respectively. Cornell Johnson score 19 in the losing effort for Eastern Illinois.

The Cougars will face Grand Canyon University in the semi-final round of the Classic on December 21, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Houston falls to UNLV Lady Rebels 63-30

Photo by Robert Kelly
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (December 12, 2015) After jumping out to a 34-30 halftime lead over the Lady Rebels, the Houston Cougars could not contain their offensive power late in the game, and fell to UNLV by the score of 63-30 at Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday, December 12, 2015. The Lady Rebels outscored the Cougars 17-11 in the final quarter to send the Cougars to 3-6 for the season.

For the Cougars, Jessieka Palmer came off the bench to lead Houston’s scoring with 16 points. Starting guard Kierra Graves added 10 in the Cougars’ effort. Three players scored in double digits for UNLV; with Brooke Johnson and Dakota Gonzalez scoring 17 points and Nikki Wheatley added 16. The Lady Rebels led in rebounds (46-28) and assists (12-11) while both teams had eight steals.

Next up for the Cougars will be a Thursday, December 17 game against Texas A and M-Corpus Christi on the road. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CST.