ORLANDO, Fla. — Houston showed yesterday there is a third team from the American Athletic Conference other than Cincinnati and Wichita that can make waves in the NCAA tournament.
And the Cougars’ Rob Gray showed he can play with anyone in this league.
Houston’s 6-1 senior point guard and first team all-conference selection scored 33 points and completely took over the game at the end as the 20th-ranked Cougars (25-6) defeated 11th-ranked Wichita States, 77-74, at the Amway Center to advance to the championship game of the conference tournament Sunday against Cincinnati.
Gray, who made just two field goals in the first half, exploded for four 3s in the second half and gave Houston the lead for good at 75-74 when he made a steal and fed Galen Robinson Jr.