Local Teams

Cameron Tyson set a program single-game record for 3-pointers with 10, leading the fifth-ranked Houston Cougars past the visiting Our Lady of the Lake Saints 112-46 on Saturday afternoon.

Houston (16-2) rested all five of its starters and still led from beginning to end against the Saints (1-4), an overmatched NAIA program from San Antonio.

Tyson scored 20 of his game-high 32 points in the first half. Also for the Cougars, Tramon Mark had 16 of his 22 points in the first half, and he added six rebounds and six assists. Jamal Shead had 20 points, a game-high 11 assists and nine rebounds in a near-triple-double performance.

Houston used a 25-0 first-half run to push its advantage from 12-9 to 37-9. The Saints never put together more than a 4-0 "run" in the first half, and the game was never in doubt beyond the first few minutes.

The Cougars, currently with their highest ranking since the program featured Hakeem Olajuwon and reached the 1984 NCAA title game, got back on track after getting upset by East Carolina in their previous game.

The Saints, playing their first game since Dec. 20, were led by Jordan Embry, who had nine points. Ruben Monzon and Ethan White had eight points each.

Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, aware that this game had the potential to quickly become a blowout, did not play his top five scorers: Quentin Grimes, Marcus Sasser, Caleb Mills, DeJon Jarreau and Justin Gorham.

Instead, Sampson gave Tyson -- an Idaho transfer -- his first start as a member of the Cougars. Mark made his fourth career start, and it was similar for J'Wan Roberts (first career start), Shead (second career start) and Reggie Chaney (second career start at Houston).

Houston, which is 11-0 at home this season, started slowly, turning the ball over twice and missing two shots before taking a 3-0 lead on Mark's long-range shot 67 seconds into the game.

Jumpers by two Saints players --White and Embry -- cut Houston's lead to 5-4 with 17:05 left in the first half.

But the Cougars dominated from there, taking a 60-22 lead into halftime.

For the game, Houston shot 55.4 percent from the floor, including 15-for-31 on 3-pointers (48.4 percent). The Saints shot 25 percent, including 3 of 29 on 3-pointers (10.3 percent).

Houston also had a 55-28 rebounding advantage.

--Field Level Media