LJ Cryer had more points than visiting Montana for parts of the game as No. 6 Houston dominated the visiting Grizzlies in a 79-44 romp Friday afternoon.
Cryer finished with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field with five 3-point baskets.
J’Wan Roberts and Jamal Shead scored 13 points apiece and reserve Emanuel Sharp posted 11 points for Houston (7-0). Shead provided seven assists.
Money Williams notched 15 points off the bench with six of his points coming on free throws for Montana (2-3), which shot 32.6 percent from the field and 3-for-17 on 3s. The Grizzlies got more points from its reserves (27) than their starters (17).
Aanen Moody, who led Montana in scoring in three of the first four games, was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting from the field.
When Houston led 48-16, Cryer had 19 points.
Cryer, a transfer from Baylor, now has 22 of Houston’s 56 baskets from 3-point range this season.
Houston didn’t seem deterred from building on the momentum of winning the recent Charleston Classic by winning three neutral-court games. The Cougars improved to 4-0 in home games.
Concerns for the Cougars, who have a week off before a game at Xavier, might come from 18-for-30 shooting on free throws.
Cryer hit four 3-point shots in the first half as the Cougars built a 41-14 halftime lead. Houston scored the last 10 points of the half, with two 3s from Cryer among those as he had as many first-half points as the entire Montana team.
Cryer had eight of Houston’s first 23 points. The Cougars led 25-7 as Montana connected on only three of its first 15 shots from the field and had just two rebounds on those misses.
The margin grew to 30-10 on Sharp’s 3-pointer off an assist from Cryer.
Three Montana starters didn’t score in the first half. The Grizzlies were 5-for-23 from the field.
This was the first-ever meeting between the teams.
–Field Level Media