HOUSTON, Texas — The No. 1 Houston Cougars (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) defeated Oakland (0-3, 0-0 HL) 78-45 at the Fertitta Center on Wednesday evening in the Space City. Oakland struggled offensively, shooting just 31.4 percent from the field and securing only three 3-pointers throughout the game. Houston capitalized on its defense. Despite Oakland's efforts including 10 offensive rebounds and limited Houston to their lowest opponent point total of the season, the Cougars maintained control with a balanced attack and a 46-32 rebounding advantage.

"They [Houston] were impressive. I was impressed by what I saw tonight," said head coach Greg Kampe. "With the way we played at Purdue, them moving up to No. 1 and the way they played tonight, I told my guys afterwards, in a way that's a compliment that they came and really played. Playing at a high level night in and night out is very hard, we know we can play at a high level, it's just doing that day in and out. It's now time for us to learn from it, grow, and look at the film."

Junior Isaac Garrett scored an NCAA career-high 20 points, collected seven rebounds, and recorded two blocks. Sophomore Nassim Mashhour converted three 3-pointers from downtown, finishing with nine points, as fifth-year Tuburu Naivalurua added six points and collected five rebounds. Houston-native Brody Robinson made all five of his free throws and contributed three assists.

The game opened with the Cougars taking an early lead, as Chris Cenac Jr. scored a jumper just 15 seconds into the half. Oakland responded with a layup from Garrett at the 18-minute mark, assisted by Robinson, briefly narrowing the gap to 8-2. Despite several scoring attempts, Oakland struggled to maintain momentum, with Garrett contributing 12 points of Oakland's offensive efforts, including a jumper and layup that combined to account for some of the team's fast break points.

Houston's Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan capitalized on their shooting opportunities, further extending their lead with a pair of three-pointers. By the end of the first half, Houston's efficient shooting and rebounding gave them a substantial 39-17 advantage over Oakland.

Oakland struggled to gain momentum in the second half, despite Mashhour opening with a 3-pointer at 19:45, assisted by senior Ziare Wells. Naivalurua contributed with a jumper at 16:48 following a defensive steal, but turnovers plagued Oakland, handing opportunities to the Cougars, who maintained control with efficient scoring in the paint.

Oakland's scoring was sporadic, highlighted by Mashhour's two additional 3-pointers, yet Houston's defense forced nine turnovers. Despite a late layup by Wells, the half concluded with Oakland trailing 78-45, and the game ended in favor of Houston.

The Golden Grizzlies are back home in the OU Credit Union O'rena to host Defiance College on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+ or listen on 97.1HD-3/1270am or online on the Audacy App.


How to Follow Oakland Men's Basketball: For complete information on Oakland Men's Basketball follow the team on X at @OaklandMBB and head coach Greg Kampe at @KampeOU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.