Here's who deserves most credit for keeping Astros afloat during rocky stretch
WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
27 June 2023
WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
After winning the World Series last season, the Astros have struggled to recapture the offensive firepower that was so critical to their title run.
But when it comes to pitching, the Astros are more than living up to their performance from last season. Astros ace Framber Valdez looks even better this year, and the team is getting important contributions from rookie pitchers like JP France and Hunter Brown.
Let's take a minute to analyze what's working and why.
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L.J. Cryer scored 20 points and No. 4 Houston clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title for a second straight season with a 73-64 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.
Terrance Arceneaux added 10 points for Houston (25-4, 17-1 Big 12), which has won eight straight. The Cougars became the first team to win the regular-season championship in its first two years in a major conference since Idaho, which won the PCC in the 1921-22 and 1922-23 seasons. Houston joined the Big 12 in 2023.
The Cougars, who have won 12 straight over Cincinnati, shot 54% and owned a 17-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
Day Day Thomas scored 19 points and Jizzle James added 18 for Cincinnati (17-12, 7-11). The Bearcats shot 44% and were 6 of 20 on 3-pointers.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats missed a chance to improve their resume for a possible NCAA Tournament berth. Cincinnati fell to 1-10 in Quad 1 games this season.
Houston: The Cougars continue to help their cause for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with their 21st win in 22 games. Houston improved to 15-4 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season, with all of its losses coming in Quad 1 games.
Trailing 10-2 with 13½ minutes left in the first half, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called timeout, and Cryer hit a jumper out of it to start a 18-2 run. Houston led 37-25 at the half.
Houston dominated the paint with a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Houston hosts Kansas on Monday, and Cincinnati hosts Kansas State on Wednesday.