Conference USA Notebook
Houston’s upset special
It didn’t take long for head coach Tom Penders to make a difference at Houston. The Cougars beat a ranked team for the first time in eight seasons with a win against No. 16 Louisville, 70-67. Andre Owens scored 27, including the game-winning basket, a three-pointer, with 21 seconds remaining. Francisco Garcia, who gave Louisville a two-point lead with a 15-footer prior to Owens’ trey, was called for charging on the following possession. Lanny Smith would make two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.
Owens later said he knew he would make a play on the decisive possession. “I told Lanny (Smith) to look for me and I’ll make it for you,” Owens said. “I wanted the ball and I knew I could make it happen. I think we’ve showed that we can beat anybody at home. After two tough road defeats and people questioning our toughness, I was so proud over what happened.”
Penders also expressed his excitement afterwards. “It was a great step for us,” said Penders. “Louisville is a Top 5 program no matter what the rankings, and a win tonight was big for us. We’re a young team learning a new system so this is the next step for us.”
Houston led for most of the second half, until Garcia’s jumper with 34 seconds put Louisville ahead by two. Then Owens’ heroics took precedence. After scoring a season-low against Texas A&M during the team’s previous game, Owens came out on fire, scoring 18 first half points, helping the Cougars take a 34-30 lead.
Importance of the No. 2 man
It’s possible that what team takes the regular season crown will not depend upon its star to lead them to promise land, but its No. 2 man. Right now, the two teams that appear more secure at that position are Cincinnati and Charlotte. The Bearcats are led by Jason Maxiell and the 49ers by Curtis Withers. But waiting in the wings for Cincinnati is Eric Hicks, averaging 13.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. And Armein Kirkland is also a potential No. 2 man, averaging 14.2 points per game. Charlotte has Eddie Basden to fall back upon, with his 14.4 scoring average and tenacious defense. Brendan Plavich is also a potential candidate, with his 12.8 points per game and deadly outside shooting.
Meanwhile, the league’s top two stars are Louisville’s Francisco Garcia and Marquette’s Travis Diener. But the lack of a reliable No. 2 man makes these two teams vulnerable. For the Cardinals, they know who their No. 2 player is; the problem is keeping him healthy. As Taquan Dean’s groin injury worsened last season, so did the Cardinals’ season. Now, Dean is suffering from back spasms, hampering him during the past three games. If Dean cannot return to form, Louisville loses much more than his 14.1 points per game. The Golden Eagles figured by now that Steve Novack would establish himself as Diener’s sidekick, but the title is still comfortable. He must stay consistent for the Golden Eagles to have a shot at the title.
Charlotte (10-2 overall, 1-0 C-USA) Last week: 1-0
The 49ers opened C-USA play with a convincing 72-60 win on the road against East Carolina on Saturday. Charlotte built a 19-point lead during the second half, but allowed the Pirates to claw back within seven with 3:12 remaining. But ECU would never get closer, as the Niners out-scored the Pirates 10-5 the remainder of the game. Eddie Basden led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Curtis Withers contributed 15 and 10. Michael Baldwin rounded out the double-digit scoring with 12. Charlotte took advantage of its size advantage by advancing to the free-throw line 23 times, opposed to East Carolina’s nine attempts. Leemire Goldmire, who had stepped up his play of late, struggled to three points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Next week – at UAB (Wednesday), vs. Saint Louis (Saturday)
Cincinnati (13-1, 2-0) Last week: 2-0
The Bearcats rebounded from their loss to top-ranked Illinois in impressive fashion, blowing out DePaul at home, 83-54, and Saint Louis on the road, 69-53, to start their conference season. Jihad Muhammad scored 11 early points against the Blue Demons, as Cincinnati took an early 22-11 lead and never looked back. They lead by 23 at the half and by nearly 40 late during the game. Four starters scored in double figures, while Eric Hicks limited Quemont Greer, the conference’s leading scorer, to 12 meaningless points.
Against the Billikens, Cincinnati hit a season-high nine three-pointers, led by Armein Kirkland’s game-high 22 points. Saint Louis kept it close for most of the first half, but a late run enabled the Bearcats to take a 34-24 lead going into halftime. Cincinnati then controlled the second half, never allowing the lead to dip below nine. The Bearcat defense again limited its opponent’s top scorer, this time Reggie Bryant, below his usual production. Bryant finished with eight points.
Next week – at East Carolina (Wednesday), vs. Louisville (Saturday)
DePaul (9-4, 1-1) Last week: 1-1
For the second straight season, the Blue Demons were blown out in Cincinnati during their first week of conference play. After losing 83-54 to the Bearcats on Thursday, DePaul rebounded for a 68-57 win against Houston at home on Saturday. It took the Demons nearly 30 minutes to erase the memory of Thursday’s loss. The Cougars, who came into Saturday beaming with confidence after an upset win against Louisville, took a 17-point lead during the first half and led at halftime, 31-24. After DePaul awoke from its poor play, it slowly chipped away at the lead until Drake Diener’s three-pointer with 14:08 remaining gave the Blue Demons their first lead of the game, 38-37. They never trailed again. Quemont Greer responded to his poor game against Cincinnati with a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds), while Diener scored 14 and LeVar Seals chipped in 13.
Thursday’s game was one to forget for the Demons, as they shot 30.3 percent from the field, were out-rebounded by 10, allowed Cincinnati to shoot 50.8 percent from the field and dished only four assists.
Next week – at Tulane (Saturday)
East Carolina (5-9, 0-2) Last week: 0-2
The Pirates suffered a last-second home loss to South Florida, 72-71, to kick off the conference season on Wednesday, before losing on the road to Charlotte on Saturday, 72-60. East Carolina led by 10 going into halftime and remained ahead until a Bull free throw gave USF its first lead of the second half, 65-64. Mike Cook responded with a jumper at the other end, but two more free throws allowed South Florida to regain the lead, which it would not relinquish. The loss was especially bittersweet since the Pirates were looking to enact some payback, as the Bulls’ only conference win last season came at East Carolina’s expense. Mike Cook led the Pirates in scoring with 18 points. He also scored 22 in the losing cause at Charlotte.
While East Carolina fell behind by as many as 19 against the Niners, it managed to climb back within seven points late in the game, but ran out of steam. While ECU was not expected to win at Charlotte, its loss to USF is one of those games it needs to win.
Next week – vs. Cincinnati (Wednesday), vs. UAB (Saturday)
Houston (9-6, 1-1) Last week: 1-1
As mentioned earlier, Wednesday was a memorable night for the Cougars, upsetting nationally-ranked Louisville, 70-67, their first win against a Top 25 team in eight seasons. Houston nearly pulled off another huge upset on Saturday, taking a 17-point first half lead before falling to DePaul on the road, 68-57. Forward Ramon Dyer tied a season-high with 18 points against the Blue Demons, going 6-of-10 from the three-point line. Andre Owens played his typical game, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Lanny Smith though struggled, shooting 1-of-9 from the field and finishing with four points. Houston finally lost the lead with 14 minutes remaining the game and never recovered. The Cougars were out-scored 44-26 during the second half. Still, it was a big weekend for the Cougars, as they proved to themselves and the league that they are no longer a pushover.
Next week – vs. Centenary (Tuesday), vs. Southern Miss (Saturday)
Louisville (12-3, 1-1) Last week: 1-1
After the Cardinals’ shocking loss to Houston, the team responded with an emphatic 86-61 win against TCU, avenging their blowout loss to the Horned Frogs last season. Freshman Juan Palacios built on his 20-point performance against the Cougars with 23 points and seven rebounds against TCU, solidifying his position as Louisville’s inside source on offense. Francisco Garcia scored 21 points, as the duo combined for 28 of the Cards’ first 34 points. Taquan Dean did not start because of back spasms, but still played 26 minutes and scored nine points. Brandon Jenkins started in Dean’s place and applied excellent defense against the Horned Frogs’ Corey Santee. Louisville jumped out to a 17-2 lead and never looked back.
Next week – at Southern Miss (Tuesday), at Cincinnati (Saturday)
Marquette (13-1, 1-0) Last week: 1-0
The Golden Eagles won its lone conference game of the week, although it struggled more than anticipated before sending Tulane home with an 82-68 win. The Green Wave led at the half, 38-31, before Marquette turned it on during the final 20 minutes. Travis Diener led the team with 20 points and 12 assists, while little used freshman Ryan Amoroso provided an unexpected spark. Having only scored more than seven points once this season, Amoroso exploded for 18 in only 14 minutes of playing time. After shooting 34.3 percent from the field in the first half, the Eagles exploded to shoot 65.5 percent during the second half. Daemon Mason and Steve Novack contributed 17 and 13 points, respectively. Diener finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double.
In university news, there are unconfirmed reports that Marquette is considering reinstating the athletic department’s former mascot, the Warrior. There is no timetable on a final decision or if it will ever reach the point of decision.
Next week – at Memphis (Thursday), vs. South Florida (Saturday)
Memphis (8-7, 1-0) Last week: 1-1
The Tigers looked more impressive last week, but blew a big chance to gain some respect back in the eyes of AP voters and NCAA selection committee members, losing on the road to Texas, 74-67, on Thursday.
Memphis, though, managed to win its conference opener in convincing fashion against Southern Miss, 60-46 on Sunday.
Memphis and the Longhorns were neck-and-neck until the final seconds. Darius Washington, who scored a career-high 23 points, lost possession of the ball with 42 seconds remaining and the Tigers trailing by two. Texas’ P.J. Tucker picked up the loose ball and raced down the court for an emphatic dunk, sticking in the final dagger. Rodney Carney scored 18 points and Sean Banks added 17 off the bench.
Against the Golden Eagles, Memphis exploded to a 25-point halftime lead and coasted home. While it appeared Banks was getting back on the right track in Texas, he rescinded against Southern Miss, scoring five points and grabbing two rebounds, although he did dish out five assists. If Memphis is to make a turnaround, he must wake up.
Next week – vs. Marquette (Thursday), vs. TCU (Saturday)
South Florida (8-5, 1-1) Last week: 1-1
For the second straight season, the Bulls defeated East Carolina and narrowly lost to UAB. All in all though, a great first week of conference play for South Florida. The Bulls won their first conference road game in two years by defeating the Pirates, 72-71, on Wednesday. It all showed the resiliency of team filled with confidence, as the Bulls came back from a 10-point halftime lead. Terrance Leather notched a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds, Brian Swift distributed nine assists and Collin Dennis converted 6-of-6 free throws during the final 1:37 to seal the win.
Dennis again held a presence from the free-throw line against UAB, making one attempt with 10.5 seconds remaining to tie the score at 61. But the Blazers’ Marques Lewis was fouled in the paint with three seconds to go and made his second attempt from the line, sealing the win. The Bulls again rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit, but could not pull of the upset. They were trying for their first back-to-back conference wins since, again, two years ago.
Next week – at Marquette (Saturday)
Southern Miss (9-5, 0-2) Last week: 0-2
Let’s be honest: the Golden Eagles would have been elated to win either of their games last week. But an upset was not in the cards, as Southern Miss lost on the road to UAB on Wednesday, 83-75, before falling at Memphis on Sunday, 60-46. The Golden Eagles looked poised to knock off the Blazers after 20 minutes, leading by nine. They were able to keep pace with UAB’s up-and-down style, but could not stop either their height disadvantage or the Taylor twins. Five players scored in double figures, led by Michael Ford’s 18 off the bench. As well as the Eagles played during the first half in Birmingham, they played equally as awful during the first half in Memphis, trailing 43-18 at halftime. No one scored in double figures and the team shot 31.9 percent from the field for the game. Jasper Johnson’s third experiment of coming off the bench failed, as he finished with eight points.
Next week – vs. Louisville (Tuesday), at Houston (Saturday)
Saint Louis (3-11, 1-1) Last week: 1-1
Well, the Billikens cracked the win column. It doesn’t mean head coach Brad Soderberg feels any better about the team’s situation. Saint Louis split last week at home, defeating Tulane on Wednesday, 57-41, before losing to Cincinnati on Saturday, 69-53. The win against the Green Wave ended a four-game losing streak for the Billikens, their second of the season. Reggie Bryant returned from his two-game absence and scored 12 points. Tulane, which trailed by nine at halftime, cut the lead to four points with 12 minutes remaining. Saint Louis responded with a 12-0 run, putting the game out of reach.
Saturday, Cincinnati was too talented for the Billikens to compete. Bryant struggled form the field, shooting 3-of-14 and finishing with eight points. Izik Ohanon performed well and led the team in scoring in both games, averaging 17 points.
TCU (10-5, 0-1) Last week: 1-1
The Horned Frogs cruised in their final tune-up to conference play with a 64-52 win against Texas State on Monday. They probably should have chosen a more talented warm-up, because Louisville greeted them rudely on Saturday with an 86-61 blowout. It was payback for the drubbing the Horned Frogs delivered last season.
Against Texas State, TCU hit 12 three-pointers and dished out 18 assists for their 24 total field goals. Nile Murry led the team with 16 points and guard Marcus Shropshire led the team with seven rebounds, plus 13 points.
The Louisville game was an ugly affair, thanks to 23 turnovers, 14 of which came during the first 12 minutes of the game. By that time it was 24-7, and the game was all but wrapped up. Murry again led the team in scoring, with 15, while Corey Santee added 13. Shropshire only played 20 minutes and missed his only two shot attempts.
Next week – vs. Tulane (Wednesday), at Memphis (Saturday)
Tulane (6-7, 0-2) Last week: 0-2
Winning either game last week would have been a surprise for the Green Wave. Yet, it would have been a step up that it appeared the team was ready to make. Apparently not. Tulane was never in its season-opener at Saint Louis, losing 57-41. The 41 points was a season-low, and the 19 turnovers the Green Wave committed was a season-high. The Billikens beat the Wave in every facet of the game. Quincy Davis led the team in scoring with 10 points.
On Saturday, Tulane appeared ready to make the jump, leading Marquette at home, 38-31, at halftime. But the wheels feel off, as the Golden Eagles out-scored the Green Wave by 21 during the final 20 minutes and won, 82-68. Marcus Kinzer scored a career-high 20 points, Taylor Rochestie notched 17 and Davis finished with 12. A big factor was on the boards, were the Golden Eagles dominated, 40-29.
Next week – at TCU (Wednesday), vs. DePaul (Saturday)
UAB (12-3, 2-0) Last week: 2-0
The Blazers pulled two escape acts last week, coming back to defeat Southern Miss at home on Wednesday, 83-75, then winning for the second-straight season by one point against South Florida, 62-61 on Saturday. It was the Donell Taylor show against the Golden Eagles, as he scored 27 points, hitting 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-10 from the line. He also had seven rebounds, six steals and five assists. His brother Ronell added 18 points.
Against the Bulls, Marques Lewis hit one of two free throws with three seconds remaining to prevent the upset. Collin Dennis hit one free throw for South Florida with 10.5 seconds remaining. The Blazers then worked the ball inside to Lewis, who drew the game-deciding foul. Ronell Taylor stayed consistent, leading UAB in scoring with 17, while Donell added 12.
Conference USA Player of the Week
Donell Taylor, UAB
Had a great two games, thanks in most part to his sick performance against Southern Miss, when he led his team in scoring (27), rebounds (seven), steals (six) and assists (six). Averaged 19.5 points for the week, as the Blazers improved their winning streak to six.
Games to watch
Charlotte at UAB (Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.)
This game showcases two of last season’s regular season champs, and two of the hottest teams in the league. Charlotte is known for its ability to win on the road, and the Blazers are a much better team at home. Expect a lot of points.
Marquette at Memphis (Thursday at 9 p.m.)
Memphis looked better last week, nearly upsetting Texas on the road and smashing Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles continue to win, but are so dependent on Travis Diener, it must worry head coach Tom Crean. The Tigers need this victory.
Louisville at Cincinnati (Saturday at noon)
Last season, these two teams played two classic games in Cincinnati. This one will likely not disappoint either. Freshman Juan Palacios will receive a true challenge from Jason Maxiell and Eric Hicks. Taquan Dean’s health is a major issue.
