Reynolds scores 22 to lead Tulane past Houston, 81-72

NEW ORLEANS – In a game that featured eight second-half lead changes, Cameron Reynolds led four players in double-figures with a team-high 22 points as the Tulane men’s basketball team defeated Houston, 81-72, in American Athletic Conference play Wednesday evening at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse.

Reynolds made six of nine 3-pointers to notch his fifth 20-point performance of the season, while Jordan Cornish added 14 points. Samir Sehic fell just shy of a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, as Ray Ona Embo compiled 13 points, six boards and six assists for Tulane (12-6, 3-3 AAC)

Houston (14-4, 4-2 AAC) also placed four scorers in double digits, led by Rob Gray’s game-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Corey Davis, Jr., had 15 points, as Devin Davis and Armoni Brooks chipped in 10 apiece. Fabian White, Jr., led all players with 12 rebounds and four blocks off the bench.

The Green Wave got off to a hot start shooting the ball, making six of their first 10 shots, including a 6-0 scoring run, while holding the Cougars to a 1-for-11 slump, to build an early 16-8 advantage after a Cornish layup off the glass at the 12:29 mark.

That margin would be Tulane’s largest of the half, and despite Houston coming within one, 32-31, on an Armoni Brooks 3-pointer with 3:36 to play, the Wave would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the period before taking a 41-34 advantage into halftime.

The Green Wave shot 15-for-29 (.517) overall, 5-for-10 (.500) from 3-point range in the first half, while holding the Cougars to just 10-for-37 (.270) from the floor and 5-for-17 (.294) beyond the arc, despite making nine of their 13 free throws and owning a +11 margin on the glass.

Tulane pulled back in front by eight, 44-36, on Reynolds’ third triple of the game, but nine straight points by Houston gave them their first lead, 45-44, since the 18:12 mark of the first half, as the Green Wave called timeout with 16:14 on the clock.

The Cougars made eight of their first 13 shots of the second half, to go ahead, 52-49, at the 12:15 mark, but an 8-2 scoring rush by the Wave, capped by a Caleb Daniels fast break layup, gave Tulane a 57-54 lead, as Houston called timeout with 9:09 left.

Houston tied the game at 57 on its next possession with a Brooks trey, and took its final lead of the night, 63-62, on a Gray jumper with 5:35 to go.

It was all Green Wave from that point, sparked by fast break buckets by Caleb Daniels and Ona Embo and Reynolds’ sixth 3-pointer of the game, creating their largest lead of the night, 79-70, following a pair of free throws with 54 seconds left. Gray made a pair of free throws after a double technical foul on Melvin Frazier led to his ejection, but Cornish sunk two final free throws with 11 ticks remaining to seal the nine-point victory.

Tulane outrebounded Houston, 26-13, in the second half and surrendered just one offensive rebound in the final 20 minutes after allowing 15 in the first half.

The Green Wave finished the night shooting 26-for-56 (.464) overall, 10-for-21 (.476) beyond the arc and 19-for-32 (.594) at the free throw line, while the Cougars went 24-for-69 (.348) from the field, 8-for-30 (.267) outside the 3-point line and 16-for-22 (.727) at the charity stripe.

The Wave outscored Houston, 26-20, in the paint, 11-4 off turnovers, 11-6 on second chances, 12-7 on the fast break and 23-21 off the bench, in addition to claiming a 43-41 edge on the glass.

Tulane will head to Dallas for its next conference tilt, in search of a regular season sweep of SMU. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. (CT) at Moody Coliseum and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNews.