Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes scored 15 second-half points, as the Houston Cougars close out their regular-season schedule with a win over the Memphis Tigers.
Grimes leads No. 21 Houston to comeback win over Memphis Tigers
Mar 8, 2020, 7:53 pm
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Trailing by four at the half, the Houston Cougars opened the final period on a 9-3 run led by sophomore guard, Quentin Grimes, who scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Behind Grimes, the Cougars outscored the Memphis Tigers 38-27 in the second half, en route to a 64-57 victory on Sunday, in front of a sellout crowd of 7,129 inside the Fertitta Center.
After picking up the intensity on both ends of the court, it was a come from behind win for the Cougars. Houston trailed for the majority of the first half shooting 22.2% from the field (0-5 3PT), including missing nine consecutive shots to close out the period.
"He [Grimes] struggled early in the first half. He does that sometimes, but you have to stay with it because I know how good he is. Sometimes they have got to get out of their own way," Cougars' Head Coach Kelvin Sampson said. "When he gets out of his own way and gives himself permission to go be a dominant player, he can do it."
Although Memphis also experienced their fair share of struggles from the field, the Tigers ended the half with a 30-26 lead, shooting 50% from the floor after a 1-for-10 start. Junior forward Fabian White kept the Cougars in striking distance scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points in the first half — to go along with 14 rebounds in the win.
For the second straight season, the Houston #Cougars are regular-season champions of the American Athletic Conferen… https://t.co/vVMmR61kZP— Coty Davis (@Coty Davis) 1583711052.0
"I was just playing for my team and especially for Y.G. (Chris Harris)," said White. "It's not us to lose two games in a row, and I don't believe we have since I got here. I wanted to keep that streak going."
In addition to Grimes, Nate Hinton stepped up huge in the win over Memphis, as the sophomore guard recorded 13 points and five rebounds in the win. In his final home game of his collegiate career, senior big man Chris Harris registered two blocks and three offensive rebounds.
#Tigers' head coach Penny Hardaway on Houston heading into the AAC Tournament. "Their [Cougars] energy is going… https://t.co/qX5QWiR7mq— Coty Davis (@Coty Davis) 1583697633.0
"Perseverance. I've seen a lot of teams have bad shooting nights and do not have a foundation they can lean on to win," Sampson said. "It's allowing your standards to give you a chance to create expectations — we lean on our culture."
In the loss, Tigers' freshman Precious Achiuwa scored a game-high 25 points and 15 rebounds. In what has been a consistent theme all season, Memphis committed 17 turnovers in which Houston converted into 18 points.
Following the win, the Cougars end the regular season with a 13-5 conference record (23-8 overall) and as American Athletic Conference champions for the second straight season. Up next, the Cougars will return to the court on Friday to take part in the American Athletic Conference Tournament in Fort Worth. Houston earned a bye into the quarterfinals and will play the winner of SMU vs. Tulsa.
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After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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