L.J. Cryer scores 18 of his 20 points in 2nd half and No. 17 Houston beats Butler 79-51
Houston forward Joseph Tugler (11) battles for a rebound between Butler forwards Patrick McCaffery (22) and Augusto Cassia (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/Michael Wyke
HOUSTON — L.J. Cryer scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half, Emanuel Sharp added 16 points and No. 17 Houston used a big second half to rout Butler 79-51 on Saturday night.
Terrance Arceneaux had 14 points off the bench, and Milos Uzan scored 13 points for Houston (5-3), which won its 26th straight at home.
Patrick McCaffery and Augusto Cassia had 11 points each to lead Butler (7-2), which had its six-game winning streak snapped.
The Cougars, who outrebounded Butler 41-22, shot 53% and were 9 of 18 on 3-pointers. Houston shot 67%, including 7 of 11 on 3s, in the second half. Cryer, Sharp, Arceneaux and Uzan combined to score 47 of Houston’s 51 points in the second half.
The Bulldogs shot 28% and were 9 of 28 on 3-pointers.
Takeaways
Butler: The Bulldogs had issues getting going on both ends of the floor. Butler, which entered ranked fifth nationally in field-goal percentage defense at 36.1%, had issues cooling Houston off, especially in the second half. The Bulldogs, who entered shooting nearly 48% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers, were held well below those averages.
Houston: After dropping two out of three games in Las Vegas last week, the Cougars bounced back, especially on the defensive end. Houston improved to 5-0 this season when holding opponents to fewer than 70 points.
Butler guard Finley Bizjack, left, lays-up a shot over Houston guard L.J. Cryer, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/Michael Wyke
Key Moment
After McCaffery opened the second half with a 3-pointer to cut Houston’s lead to 28-21, Cryer responded with a 3-pointer, and Uzan followed with a layup. Houston’s lead never dropped below nine the rest of the way.
Key Stat
Houston held a 28-6 advantage in points in the paint.
Up Next
Butler hosts North Dakota State on Tuesday night, while Houston hosts Troy on the same day.
