Men’s Basketball Drops Road Contest to No. 15 Houston

Tuesday, December 10

Houston, Texas

7 p.m.

Troy University

5-4,0-0Sun Belt

Houston

6-3,0-0Big 12

Troy

Houston

Men’s Basketball Drops Road Contest to No. 15 Houston

12/10/2024 11:53:00 PM | Basketball (M)

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

HOUSTON, Texas – The Troy men's basketball team battled tough in the second half, but ultimately fell short to No. 15 Houston, 62-42, at the Ferttita Center on Tuesday night.

Troy (5-4) had its worst shooting performance of the season, as it made just 27 percent (12-50) of its shots, which is the worst shooting percentage since it shot 26.7 against App State on Jan. 14, 2023.

Houston (6-3) wasn't much better offensively as it hit just 43.1 percent of its shots. The difference in the game was three-point shooting, as the Cougars went 9-19 from distance while Troy was 2-18 from 3-point range.

Troy's 42 total points is the second fewest under head coach Scott Cross. The Trojans scored 41 points in a loss to Auburn on Dec. 23, 2020.

Both teams opened the game cold from the field, as Houston led 6-2 at the first media timeout with 14:51 left in the half. Leading 14-7, Houston went on a 9-0 run to make it 23-7 with 5:09 left in the first 20 minutes. The Trojans didn't reach double-figures until there was 12 seconds left in the half on a Tayton Conerway jump shot. Going into the break, Houston was leading 33-11. It was the second-fewest points scored in a half under Cross. The Trojans scored 10 points in the first half against Auburn in 2020.

The Trojans were 4-23 from the field in the first half, including 1-9 from 3-point range.

Troy came out better in the second 20 minutes, as it outscored Houston 31-29 to close out the game. The Cougars expanded their lead to a game-high 31 points with 2:41 left in regulation, but the Trojans closed out the night on an 11-0 run to bring the final deficit to 20. The Trojans still struggled from the field in the second half, as it was 8-27 (29.6 percent). Troy took just four free throws in the first half but was 14-18 from the line in the second half, which helped close the deficit.

Thomas Dowd led the Trojans with 10 points on 2-8 shooting, while Conerway had nine points on 4-9 shooting.

The Trojans lost the rebounding battle 38-36. Conerway led the team with eight rebounds. Troy turned it over 12 times, while forcing Houston into 10 of their own.

LJ Cryer scored a game-high 22 points for Houston on 8-11 shooting.

Quotable – head coach Scott Cross
"There's just no way to mimic what Houston does. The relentlessness and the size. They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and in the first half it really showed. There's a reason why they have made it to the final four in recent years and why they are at the top of its league nearly every year. I've got a ton of respect for their program. We will be able to learn a lot of lessons now that our guys understand it."

Up Next
Troy is back on the hardwood on Saturday afternoon as it takes on Middle Georgia State at 4:30 p.m. The game will follow the women's game against Memphis which gets underway at 2 p.m. Both games will be on ESPN+ and the Troy Sports Media Network. Live stats will also be available on Troystats.com.

Notables
• Troy is now 0-2 all-time against Houston, with both games in Houston.
• Troy's 27 percent shooting clip was its worst since Jan. 14, 2023, when it shot 26.7 percent from the field.
• Troy's 42 points were the second-fewest scored by Troy in the Scott Cross era. It scored 41 points against Auburn on Dec. 23, 2020.
• Troy's 11 points in the first half were the second fewest in a half in the Scott Cross era. Troy scored 10 points in the first half against Auburn on Dec. 23, 2020.
• Thomas Dowd led Troy with 10 points. It's his second time this season scoring in double figures.