The Houston Cougars and Texas Longhorns men’s basketball teams met on Saturday for a not-so-secret scrimmage in San Antonio.
According to multiple sources with knowledge of the scrimmage, the teams played two 20-minute periods that included an intermission that saw each program go to their respective locker rooms. Following the end of the two 20-minute periods, both teams played one additional 10-minute period for the underclassmen on the team.
According to one source, it was a tale of two halves between Houston and Texas in the two 20-minute periods. The Cougars struggled in the first half, particularly in being able to put the ball in the basket. It was guard Jamal Shead who starred for the Cougars with his facilitating prowess, a source said. Houston and Texas were in a defensive battle in the first half, the other source said.
The Cougars were able to pull away in the second half as baskets began to fall. UH built approximately a 10-point cushion by the time the second period ended. According to one source, Houston struggled with foul trouble in the second half, keeping Texas within reach.
Offensively for Houston, Jarace Walker, Marcus Sasser, and Tramon Mark stood out along with Shead, according to both sources. While Houston was “victorious” after the two 20-minute periods, scrimmages are less about a final score and more about improving and focusing on specific areas ahead of a new season.
Head coach Kelvin Sampson spoke about the importance of scrimmages for the team last Saturday after Houston’s red-white intra-team scrimmage.
“This team needs to be exposed. The earlier, the better,” Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson said last Saturday.
Houston is scheduled to hold another scrimmage against Duke next Saturday. The Cougars will not have an exhibition game this season. According to NCAA bylines, an institution may play two practice scrimmages during any year it does not play one exhibition contest. Houston tips off its season on Nov. 7 against Northern Colorado.