Stretches of cold shooting doom Cougars
Three-game skid leaves Sampson searching for solutions at UH
DALLAS — A threegame losing streak is not what bothers University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson.
How the Cougars are losing is what really gnaws at him.
“I’m more concerned with fixing the issues rather than worrying about a losing streak,” Sampson said after 85-64 loss to SMU on Saturday at Moody Coliseum. “You can take that and put it in a Hefty bag and throw it in the ocean for all I’m con- cerned.”
Again, the Cougars had lapses when their shots would not fall, including a missed opportunity late in the first half after pulling within two points.
Again, the Cougars were helpless inside — barely able to get out of the way of a monstrous Ben Moore dunk — and outrebounded for the fifth straight game. Not enough help
And again, the Cougars got nothing offensively beyond Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson. Dotson tied a career high with 25 points and Gray, the leading scorer in the American Athletic Conference, added 16. The duo went a combined 15of-31 and made 10 of the Cougars’ season-high 14 3-pointers.
The rest of the team shot just 7-of-24. Starters Danrad Knowles and Wes VanBeck did not make a field goal until midway through the second half.
“We have to make 3s,” Sampson said. “Guys like (Armoni) Brooks, VanBeck and Dotson … we can’t have one or two of those guys off and expect to win this game.”
Even when the Cougars shot 52 percent in the second half, the Mustangs countered with a sizzling 65.4 percent and built their biggest lead, 80-53, with five minutes left.
Shake Milton set a career high with 27 points, including six 3s, and Semi Ojeleye had 20 points. SMU made 13 3-pointers, eight coming in the second half. Five SMU players scored in double figures.
SMU (17-4, 7-1 AAC) remained unbeaten at home this season and is 63-4 at Moody since 2013. The 21-point setback was the worst for UH in conference play since a 104-83 loss at Central Florida in 2014.
After a 3-0 start to league play, the Cougars (13-7, 4-4 AAC) have dropped four of the last five games.
“Our toughness level is not nearly where it has to be,” said Sampson, whose team has been without top inside presence Devin Davis (foot) for the past six weeks. “That’s what we’re lacking right now.
“We have to figure out a way to fix that.” Missed opportunities
In both halves, the Cougars had a chance to make a move, only to be undone by long stretches without scoring and the hot-shooting Mustangs.
A Dotson 3-pointer pulled UH within 24-22 with 7:34 left in the first half. The Cougars missed their next nine shots and went without a field goal for 6:43. Milton hit backto-back 3s as SMU went on an 18-1 run to end the half.
UH got within 62-50 with 10:33 remaining. SMU answered with an 18-3 run, highlighted by five straight 3s.
“Cincinnati and SMU are the two best teams we’ve played this year,” Sampson said.