RAINBOW CLASSIC
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
De'Angelo Alexander of Charlotte swatted the ball away from Robert Lee of Houston during last night's Rainbow Classic first-round game. The Cougars won 68-46.
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Cougars reach semis
Houston goes the (long) distance in beating Charlotte
In his speech at the Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic banquet on Tuesday, Houston coach Tom Penders spoke of his preference for a high-scoring brand of basketball with points rising into the 80s.
Rainbow Classic
Today's Schedule
Consolation
» Wyoming vs. San Francisco, 11 a.m.
» Charlotte vs. Valparaiso, 1:30 p.m.
Semifinals
» Houston vs. Creighton, 5 p.m.
» Hawaii vs. Nebraska, 7:30 p.m.
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Last night's first-round game between Penders' Cougars and Charlotte, certainly didn't qualify -- but it wasn't for a lack of trying.
The Cougars and 49ers shot with little conscience -- and often with even less accuracy -- combining for 72 3-point attempts in Houston's 68-46 win at the Stan Sheriff Center.
In only his second game with the Cougars, forward Dion Dowell led the 3-point barrage and finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds. The transfer from Texas sat out his first semester at Houston, and scored six of his eight field goals from behind the 3-point line as both teams threatened the tournament's single-game record of 39 3-pointers attempted.
"Coach Penders allows us to have a free-lance offense as long as you're going to be unselfish, and you always have to play defense," Dowell said. "The main thing he stresses be fearless out there, have confidence in yourself and have fun.
"We play in a great system. I feel I play in the best offensive scheme in college basketball."
The Cougars (5-3) advance to today's first Rainbow Classic semifinal at 5 p.m. Charlotte (3-6) falls into the consolation bracket and returns to the Sheriff Center at 1:30 p.m.
Houston guard Robert Lee came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Guard Robert McKiver, among the nation's leading scorers, finished with 13.
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
David Booker of Charlotte chased down a loose ball while flanked by Houston's Dion Dowell and Jahmar Thorpe.
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After launching a season-high 41 3-pointers in a loss at Arizona last Sunday, the Cougars made 12 of 35 last night.
"We're the Phoenix Suns of college basketball," Penders said. "That's our system. You don't count them; you take what the defense gives you."
Charlotte's total was a season low, as the 49ers shot 23 percent (14-for-61) from the field and made six of 37 3-point shots.
Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz was happy about keeping a Houston team averaging more than 87 points per game to less than 70. But the 49ers couldn't find the range from the floor.
"We really thought if we'd keep the game in the 60s we'd have a chance to win," Lutz said. "But obviously you have to score in the 60s or 70s to have a chance."
Keeping Charlotte guards De'Angelo Alexander and Leemire Goldwire under control was the focus of the Houston defense. Both Alexander, the Atlantic 10 Conference's top 3-point shooter last season, and Goldwire went 2-for-10 and were a combined 1-for-14 beyond the arc.
Alexander finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Goldwire had six points.
"We know their guards are 80 percent of their offense and if you let them get going any one of three or four guards are capable of breaking the game open," Penders said.
"If they were going to beat us, their big men were going to have to beat us," Dowell said.
Of 61 total shots taken in the first half, 44 were launched from behind the 3-point line. Ten of the game's first 13 field goals were treys.
Charlotte, which hadn't played since Dec. 9, made just six of 31 shots, and went 4-for-21 on 3-point attempts.
After the 49ers tied the game at 15 at the 10:17 mark, Charlotte's offense dried up and Houston closed the half with a 16-5 run. The Cougars eventually led by as many as 24 in the second half on their way to the semifinals.
The 49ers entered the game shooting 39 percent from the field and saw that figure drop to 37 percent with last night's performance.
"We're struggling like no team I've ever had," Lutz said. "We've had good practices and we shoot the ball better -- right now we're just not. We're not great, but we're better than we're playing."
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Antwon Coleman of Charlotte got ready to block a shot by Dion Dowell of Houston last night.
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Creighton 68, Valparaiso 43
After missing his lone shot from the field in the first half, Bluejays guard Nate Funk got loose after halftime to lead Creighton into a semifinal matchup with Houston.
Funk, limited to two points in the first half, made eight of 10 of his second-half shots to lead all scorers with 22 points. He hit four of five 3-point shots, including a 30-footer to beat the shot clock.
"They did a very god job on Nate, they really worked him hard (in the first half)," Creighton coach Dana Altman said. "The second half we got him open a little bit and he nailed some shots."
Forward Anthony Tolliver complemented Funk with 11 points and six rebounds.
The Bluejays (5-3) led by seven at the break and opened the second half on a 13-2 run, with five players contributing to the scoring, to pull away from the Crusaders (3-7).
"They didn't fall in that first half, but once we got a couple down they started falling," Altman said.
Shawn Huff led Valparaiso with eight points as the Crusaders lost their seventh straight.