MENS BASKETBALL

Houston 57, Central Florida 42

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON - L.J. Cryer scored 16 points, Jamal Shead added 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists and No. 5 Houston used a staunch defensive effort to beat Central Florida 57-42.

Cryer scored 13 first half points as Houston (16-2, 3-2 Big 12) built a 28-14 halftime lead. Cryer, who finished 6 of 14 from the field Saturday, scored 18 points on 7 of 31 shooting from the field over his previous three games. The Cougars shot 34%.

Ja’Vier Francis had 10 points and six rebounds for Houston, which has won 16 straight home games. The Cougars forced 15 turnovers, which they converted into 15 points, and owned a 24-6 advantage in points in the paint.

Marchellus Avery had 10 points and six rebounds, and Thierno Sylla added eight points to lead UCF, which shot 16%, including 4 of 21 on 3-pointers. UCF (11-6, 2-3) was 3 of 21 from the field in the first half, including 0 for 15 inside the arc.

Houston jumped out to a 13-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Cryer with 11:40 remaining in the first half, but the Knights responded with an 8-0 run to cut the lead to three on a 3-pointer by Sylla with 7 ½ minutes left in the half.

The Cougars ended the half on a 15-4 spurt to take a 14-point lead on a layup by Mylik Wilson.

BIG PICTURE

UCF: The Knights fell to 2-4 in Quad 1 games. … The Knights were 24 of 33 from the free throw line.

Houston athletics press release

January 20, 2024