Houston Showdown: Mountaineers Face Off Against Cougars Under the Lights

Tale of the Tape
Points Per Game	77.1	74.5
Scoring Margin	+22.9	+10.6
Field Goal Percentage	.461	.436
Opp Field Goal Percentage	.347	.384
3-PT Field Goal Percentage	.415	.346
Opponent 3-PT Field Goal Percentage	.291	.281
Free Throw Percentage	.740	.754
Rebounds Per Game	38.5	36.1
Assists Per Game	13.6	14.2
Turnovers Per Game	9.4	11.1
Steals Per Game	8.5	7.7
Blocks Per Game	5.3	5.3
Streak	W8	W1

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia is set to enter the Cougars’ territory on Wednesday evening as they take on the 10^th-ranked Houston at the Fertitta Center.
 
With a record of 12-3 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 competition, the Cougars boast the longest home win streak in the country at 31 consecutive games and are coming off a commanding 87-57 victory at Kansas State last Saturday. This performance may have been Houston’s most comprehensive of the season.
 
It marked Houston’s eighth consecutive triumph following a 73-70 loss in overtime to San Diego during the consolation round of the Players Era Tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 30.
 
Additionally, the Cougars’ two other losses were against now top-ranked Auburn, 74-69 at the Toyota Center in Houston on Nov. 9, and against now fourth-ranked Alabama, 85-80 in overtime, in Las Vegas.
 
Among Houston’s eight straight victories are conference wins against Oklahoma State, BYU, TCU, and Kansas State leading up to Wednesday night.
 
Once again, Houston’s reputation is built on aggressive defense under seasoned coach Kelvin Sampson, with the Cougars permitting only 54.2 points per game while opponents shoot just 34.7% from the field.
 
On the offensive end, the long-range shooting of guards L.J. Cryer and Emmanuel Sharp ranks among the elite in the nation. Sharp is hitting at a 48.8% rate from beyond the arc, while Cryer holds a 41% shooting percentage. Both players have made 41 treys each, ranking among the top in the Big 12, averaging identical 14.1 points per game.
 
The remainder of Houston’s starting lineup includes 6-foot-4 guard Milos Uzan, as well as 6-foot-8 forwards J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler. Roberts contributes an average of 8.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest, while Uzan averages 8.9 points and 3.2 boards per game.
 
Terrance Arceneauz, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard, injects scoring power off the bench, averaging 9.1 points per game, placing him third on the team.
 
Additional height comes from 6-foot-8 senior forward Ja’Vier Francis and 6-foot-9 sophomore Cedric Lath.
 
Sharp spearheaded a balanced Houston scoring effort with 15 points in the 30-point triumph at Kansas State on Saturday. Tugler contributed with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Cryer and Francis each scored 11, and Roberts added 10.
 
Houston dominated Kansas State 52 to 18 in the paint, had a 30 to 12 advantage off the bench, and scored 21 to 7 in fast-break points. The Cougars also led in second-chance points 20 to 1, indicating that West Virginia must find ways to limit their rebounds.
 
Houston has a rebounding margin of over seven boards per game while grabbing 13.1 offensive rebounds each outing. Comparatively, West Virginia has allowed 10 more rebounds than they have secured in 15 games thus far this season.
 
The Cougars will have to deal with West Virginia’s Javon Small, who is the leading scorer in the Big 12 with an average of 19.8 points per game. Small scored a game-high 26 points in the Mountaineers’ 78-70 victory at Colorado on Sunday, helping them improve to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play.
 
During a media zoom call earlier this week, Sampson was queried about Small.
 
“Talent, talent, talent …” he remarked. “Swagger; (Small) can maneuver left or right off the drive and sink step-back 3s. Their team carries a great swagger, and I believe they draw it from Javon. He is undoubtedly one of the finest guards in the nation.”
 
Sampson elaborated.
 
“He scores at all three levels. He finishes exceptionally well. He is a 3-point shooter and scores in the paint,” he commented. “We haven’t seen all the games, but observing Colorado, which is a strong and well-coached team, I genuinely appreciate the way Javon plays.”
 
Guard Joseph Yesufu emerged from the bench to add a season-high 18 points against Colorado, while Eduardo Andre contributed 12 points, shooting 5-of-5. It was Andre’s 15 points, six rebounds, and four steals that propelled West Virginia to its landmark 62-61 victory at Kansas, ending the Mountaineers’ 11-game losing streak in Allen Fieldhouse.
 
A similar performance may be vital on Wednesday night from those players and others to secure another important road upset in Houston.
 
Last year, the Cougars thoroughly outclassed West Virginia with an 89-55 win at the Fertitta Center, marking the Mountaineers’ only other appearance there.
 
West Virginia fell out of this week’s Associated Press Top 25 but remains in the coaches’ poll at No. 25.
 
Wednesday’s game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on ESPN+ (James Westling and Reid Gettys).
 
Radio coverage from the Mountaineer Sports Network featuring Tony Caridi, Brad Howe, and David Kahn will commence at 7 p.m. on various stations across West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com, and through the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
 
WVU will return to the Coliseum this Saturday to confront second-ranked Iowa State in a game that will pay tribute to the memory and enduring legacy of Mountaineer icon Jerry West, who passed away on June 12, 2024, in Los Angeles.
 
The Iowa State contest has already been declared a sellout.