March 11, 2009

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)--Aubrey Coleman notched a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, to lead five Houston players in double-figure scoring as the Cougars defeated SMU 85-76 in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament on Wednesday night.

The victory for the fifth-seeded Cougars (20-10) moved them into Thursday's quarterfinals against No. 4 seed UTEP, which split the regular-season series with Houston.

Qa'rraan Calhoun added 18 points for the Cougars and Zamal Nixon scored 17. Kelvin Lewis and Marcus Cousin also added 14 points apiece.

SMU (9-21), the tournament's 12th seed, was led by Derek Williams with 18 points. Paul McCoy added 13 points, Robert Nyakundi finished with 11 and Mouhammad Faye had 10.

The Cougars opened the game on a 14-2 run, claiming a 41-30 halftime lead. The Mustangs trailed for the entire game.

General Notes

• Houston improves to 7-11 all-time in C-USA Tournament games, 4-4 at the FedEx Forum.
• SMU is 1-4 all-time in the C-USA Tournament with four straight losses.
• The game was the 63rd meeting between the two schools, with Houston holding a commanding 41-22 edge in the series. The Cougars have also won the last eight meetings, dating back to Dec. 17, 2000.
• Tonight's game was the first time the teams have met in the C-USA Tournament.
• Houston swept the season series, winning all three games (UH 69, SMU 56 on Feb. 11 --- UH 89, SMU 77 on Mar. 7 --- UH 85, SMU 76 on Mar. 11)
• Houston advances to play No. 4 UTEP in Thursday's quarterfinal.
• UTEP eliminated Houston in the 2008 quarterfinals, 80-77.

Houston Notes

• Aubrey Coleman registered his 13th double-double of the season (20 pts, 14 reb.). It was his fourth straight.
• Coleman has led UH in scoring 17 times this season and for the fourth straight time. He also scored 20+ points in all three games against SMU.
• Coleman's 14 rebounds are a new career high.
• Houston had five players score in double figures (Kelvin Lewis 14, Zamal Nixon 17, Aubrey Coleman 20, Qa'rraan Calhoun 18, and Marcus Cousin 13) for the third time in 2008-09.
• Qa'rraan Calhoun's 18 points were the second-highest point total of his career.
• Houston held a 25-13 advantage on the glass in the first half, including more offensive rebounds (14) than SMU's total.
• The Cougars finished with a 40-33 advantage on the glass and they never trailed in the ball game.
• Houston held a 42-30 advantage in points in the paint.
• Houston had a 12-7 advantage in points off turnovers and a 22-10 advantage in second chance points.

SMU Notes

• SMU ends its season at 9-21 overall.
• SMU's bench outscored Houston's bench 22-2
• Derek Williams led SMU with 18 points and five assists. He led the team in scoring 10 times this season.
• SMU had a newcomer lead the team in scoring in 27 of 30 games (.900), the highest percentage in Div. I
• Williams registered 16 of his 18 points in the second half.
• Mouhammad Faye had all 10 of his points in the second half, along with three of his four rebounds.
• After being out rebounded 25-13 in the first half, SMU out rebounded Houston 20-15 in the second half.
• Paul McCoy and Robert Nyakundi also scored in double-digits for SMU with 13 points and 11 points, respectively.

Houston Head Coach Tom Penders
On the win over SMU
"It was an exciting game. It was an up-and-down game. There was a lot of scoring and a lot of nice plays by both teams. It is a great win for us, number 20 for the season. That was one of our goals for the season, to reach 20 wins. It is all about survive, win and then move on. Whether I am drawing a bye or playing in the opening round, I am always scared of that first game in this tournament. I have seen some of the squirreliest games. You have seen it around the country in conferences like the Big East and this morning in our conference."

On the balance offense tonight
"Balanced offense was very important for us tonight. We thought when they started the smaller team, that we would be giving it to (Marcus) Cousin early. Then we let (Zamal) Nixon loose a little bit. But tonight was about letting the guys loose and different guys came up big at different times. We went to the hot guys when they were on and that is a credit to the kids. The overall point guard play of Zamal was excellent. He got a little tired at the end. I probably had him out there too long. But we had a good balanced game."

On the game with UTEP tomorrow
"We have UTEP tomorrow and not a whole lot of time to prepare. We know them and they know us. Hopefully it is another great game."

SMU Head Coach Matt Doherty
Opening Statement
"We just dug ourselves a hole. Lately, we've been playing pretty well in the first half and kind of sliding in the last 10 minutes. This game was a little bit in reverse. So, we just let them get too many second chance points, especially to start the game. That dug a hole for us. And then, foul trouble. We got in foul trouble and they got to the foul line and shot 81percent, so, it was tough. I'm proud that we fought back. We could have easily hung our head and quit. But, we didn't. Derek (Williams) had a good second half. Mouhammad (Faye) had a good second half. (Papa) Dia did some good things. It was good to have him back on the floor. Robert (Nyakundi) shot the ball pretty well. We just have to do a better job and grow and mature and continue to recruit good players."

You mentioned the second chance points: 18 for Houston in the first, but just four in the second. What changed?
"Well, I think concentration and more of a focus on it. They probably relaxed a little bit, too. We definitely focused on it and talked about it and did rebounding drills. And, part of it is that they are big, strong, and athletic. I mean, Coleman at the three spot is a beast on the boards. When a loose ball comes off, he's after it. Marcus Cousin is the same thing--big, strong post player who had six offensive rebounds. We're just built that way right now, in terms of our interior