AAC champs now turn to postseason
However long he has left in a Hall of Fame coaching career, Kelvin Sampson is going to enjoy every moment.
“I don’t know how much time I have left (in college basketball), but this has been a blessing,” Sampson said after top-ranked University of Houston beat East Carolina 76-57 on Saturday night to clinch the outright American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Marcus Sasser scored 22 points, and Tramon Mark added 20 points and nine rebounds for the Cougars (27-2, 15-1 AAC), who have won nine straight games and 18 of the last 19 to earn their fourth league title in a five-year span.
Hoisting trophies does not get old.
Neither does cutting down nets.
Or spraying water during locker room celebrations.
“Our kids know how to win,” said Sampson, who’s in his ninth year at UH and 34th season overall. “I say that a lot.”
UH has dominated in its final year in the AAC before moving to the Big 12 this summer, winning 10 games by double figures. The Cougars have won their last five games by average of 22 points.
Asked how his players should feel after another conference title, Sampson said: “Awesome. They should feel it.”
Sasser, the Cougars’ preseason All-America guard and a candidate for AAC player of the year, rolled his right ankle when he bumped into ECU’s Brandon Johnson and had to be helped off the court with 13:46 left in the first half. Sasser went to the locker room, got his ankle retaped and checked back in 2½ minutes later.
ECU (15-14, 5-10) endured a frigid shooting display in the first half, missing 20 of its last 21 attempts to trail 36-19 at halftime. The Pirates did not have a field goal over the final 10:56. At halftime, the Cougars had more blocked shots (five) than the Pirates had made field goals (three).
UH never trailed, building as much as a 24-point lead in the second half.
J’Wan Roberts had 17 points and 12 rebounds for UH, which locked up the No. 1 seed in the AAC tournament.
ECU got within 15 points three times after halftime. Each time, however, the Cougars answered. The Pirates shot 52 percent in the second half, but it was not enough to overcome their early struggles.
UH held a 48-28 rebounding edge and dominated with 40 points inside the paint.
Ezra Ausar scored 15 points for ECU, which was hosting the No. 1-ranked team for the first time in school history. The Pirates announced a crowd of 7,589, the first sellout since 2008 at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, N.C.
“We’ve been going through this league for nine years,” Sampson said. “Everywhere we go, it’s a packed house.” Sampson is not done yet. There’s still the conference tournament. Then comes the Madness, with the Cougars among the national title contenders.
And like he’s said before, Sampson does not play to go anywhere else. “This is my last stop,” he said.