BACK ON TRACK
Houston's resilience shines in win against Oklahoma State
Feb 5, 2025, 1:11 pm
The Coogs beat the Cowboys, 72-63. Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images.
L.J. Cryer scored 18 points, Milos Uzan added 17 points and No. 5 Houston rebounded from its first Big 12 loss of the season with a 72-63 win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.
J’Wan Roberts had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Terrance Arceneaux had 10 points for Houston (18-4, 10-1 Big 12), which shot 42% and went 8 of 21 on 3-pointers.
The Cougars lost to Texas Tech 82-81 in overtime on Saturday, and improved to 31-2 after a loss since Feb. 1, 2017.
Abou Ousmane scored 16 points, Arturo Dean added 13 points and Bryce Thompson had 11 points for Oklahoma State (11-11, 3-8), which lost for the fourth time in its last five games.
The Cowboys shot 51% and were 7 of 19 on 3-pointers.
Takeaways
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys missed an opportunity for a marquee win after jumping to an 18-9 lead and opening the game shooting 8 of 10 from the field. Oklahoma State had issues with Houston’s defensive pressure and couldn’t stop the Cougars on the boards.
Houston: Missing second-leading scorer Emanuel Sharp and reserve Ja’Vier Francis, who were out of the lineup with injuries, the Cougars started slowly. However, Houston recovered to make 11 of its final 16 field goals of the first half and take a 39-33 lead into halftime.
Key moment
After Oklahoma State cut Houston’s lead to 68-63 with 30 seconds remaining, Mylik Wilson and Cryer each made two free throws to ice the win.
Key stat
Houston outrebounded Oklahoma State 40-24, including an 18-4 advantage in offensive rebounds, which the Cougars turned into 16 second-chance points.
Up next
Houston travels to Colorado on Saturday. Oklahoma State hosts Arizona State on Sunday.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.