Neither team could get much going offensively in the first seven minutes, but a three-pointer from junior guard Jamal Shead and then a nifty layup plus the foul from senior guard Marcus Sasser gave UH a 14-7 with under 12 minutes to go in the first half.
Quality play on both sides of the ball from freshman forward Jarace Walker helped the Cougars engineer a 16-7 run with Walker scoring four straight buckets including a three and a dunk to go with a steal and a block in the span. UH would go up 36-18 with just over three minutes left in the first half.