During a week when No. 1 and No. 3 fell, second-ranked Houston didn’t falter under pressure.
Down one with less than a minute remaining, junior point guard Jamal Shead drove to his right and banked in a layup. A couple of defensive stop and four perfect free throws from senior guard Marcus Sasser and UH survived the upset, defeating Kent State 49-44.
Sasser finished with a game-high 19 points. Junior forward J’Wan Roberts recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 11 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
The win likely cemented the Cougars’ spot as the top-ranked team in the AP poll come Monday morning.