Pollard-powered victory
Memphis’ Shaq Goodwin left, roughs up Houston’s Devonta Pollard, who wasn’t deterred as he scored 34 points in a 98-90 win.
Throughout Wednesday’s game, Devonta Pollard putup shots and dared Memphis to match him.
“He turned into World B. Free out there,” University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said after Pollard scored a career-high 34 points in a 98-90 win at Hofheinz Pavilion.
It was the second straight big home win for the Cougars— following a Feb. 1 upset over No. 12 SMU— and keeps the min line for a firstround bye in next month’s American Athletic Conference tournament.
At 17-7, UH is off to its best start through 24 games since going 19-5 in 2007-08.
The Cougars erased a 13-point first-half deficit with a sizzling final 20 minutes. UH shot 69.2 percent (18-of-26) from the floor and was 20-of-25 from the freethrow line. Free throws have been a season-long weakness, but the Cougars made 15 of 18 in the final five minutes when Memphis was forced to foul.
“Our guys are fighters,” Sampson said. “We just don’t give in to anything.”
Before the game, Sampson told Pollard, a 6-8 senior forward who has struggled shooting in the second half of the season, the plan was to get the ball in his hands.
Pollard attempted to drive to the basket early against Memphis’ top player, Shaq Goodwin, but was only 5-of-11 for 11 points in the first half. In the second half, witht he Cougars moving Pollard around, he was 9-of-13 for 23 points.
“Devonta Pollard might have been the best player in the conference tonight,” Sampson said.
Pollard answered big shot after big shot, regardless of who shot for Memphis.
“Devonta scored, nowit’s your turn. I scored, nowit’s your turn,” Sampson said.
Memphis (14-10, 5-6 AAC) allowed the Cougars to hang around by committing five turnovers and missing six of seven shots midway through the secondhalf.
Pollard’s jumper with 5:32 remaining tied the game at 77 and began a decisive 19-2 run that was fueled by big plays and clutch free throws from Dam ye an Dotson and Ga len Robinson Jr.
Dotson finished with 21 points, and Robinson had 18 for the Cougars, which beat Memphis for only the second time in the last eight meetings.
The Cougars played a third straight game without AAC leading scorer Rob Gray Jr., who is nursing a badly sprained ankle. Sampson said Gray is “not far off,” and the target for his return is Feb. 17 at Tulane
With less than three minutes remaining, Pollard had the ball in front of the UH bench, the Cougars clinging to a five-point lead and the shot clock winding down. Faced with a doubleteam, Pollard tossed up a shot that went in a she fell to the floor.
“I heard the bench yelling, ‘Shot clock!’ ” Pollard said. “I just got a peek at the rim and let it go.”
Memphis’ Goodwin had 16 of his 24 points in the first half as the Tigers threatened to pull away with a 24-4 run.
UH made adjustments at halftime, putting 6-8 forward Bert Nkali in to start the second half and guarding Goodwin as soon as he crossed halfcourt. Goodwin had only three field goals in the second half.
“Just make it hard for himto get (the ball),” Sampson said. “He didn’t get as many opportunities.”