Houston Cougars fall to Akron Zips in first round of NIT

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

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 15, 2017) Rob Gray (shown right) led all scorers with 24 points, but it was not enough to enable the No. 2 Houston Cougars to down the No. 7 Akron Zips in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. The Zips beat the Cougars by the score of 78-75 at the Health and Physical Education Arena on the Campus of Texas Southern University on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. The loss eliminated the Cougars from the NIT and gave Houston a 21-11 record for the season.

(To view a slideshow from the game, click here.)

The game, which was the third meeting between the schools, was a physical affair with 40 personal fouls being called and three players fouling out. Five players, including Gray, scored in double figures. Damyean Dotson (shown below) scored 19 with Devin Davis added 10. Isaiah Johnson tallied 21 points for the Zips with Jimond Ivey added 10. 

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

Houston led at halftime 35-34, but were outscored in the second half 44-40. The Cougars pulled out to a game high seven-point lead at the 4:34 mark in the first half, but could not contain the Zips in the second half.

Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson talked with the press after the game. His comments can be viewed by clicking here.

Previously, the teams had played twice before. Their first meeting, on November 27, 1983 with the Cougars coming out on top 69-53 at Hofheinz Pavilion. The second meeting came a little over a year later, on December 3, 1994, with Akron winning 66-56 at home.

The loss closed out the college careers of five Houston seniors. Kyle Meyer scored four points and pulled down six rebounds with fellow seniors Dotson (19 points, six rebounds) and Bertrand Nkali (two points, three rebounds). Fellow seniors Danrad Knowles and Xavier Dupree did not see action.

With the win, Akron moved to 27-8 for the season and will face Texas-Arlington, who was 105-89 winner over BYU, in the second round.