NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Kyler Edwards scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half, and No. 14 Houston defeated Tulane 81-67 on Wednesday night.
Taze Moore punctuated his 18-point performance with a two-handed alley-oop dunk with just more than a minute remaining and Fabian White Jr. had 12 points and three blocked shots for the Cougars (23-4, 12-2 AAC), who shot 62% in the second half, including 6 of 13 from 3-point range.
J'Wan Roberts grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots for Houston, which outrebounded the Green Wave 43-28.
Jalen Cook scored 19 points and Kevin Cross added 16 for Tulane (12-12, 9-6), which led by as many as five points during a tight first half, but struggled to stay close during the final 20 minutes. Sion James and Jaylen Forbes each scored 13 for Tulane.
The intimate, 89-year-old Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse appeared to have virtually all of its 4,100 seats occupied, with a number of fans standing for what had the potential to be a benchmark matchup for the resurgent Green Wave, who came in with victories in five of their previous seven games.
The crowd was engaged and often raucous in the first half, a tight opening 20 minutes in which there were eight lead changes and six ties, with neither team leading by more than five.
But Houston closed the period on an 8-3 run, with Edwards' free throws giving the Cougars a 32-27 halftime lead.
The Cougars then opened the second half with Edwards' 3 and Moore's layup to take their first double-digit lead, and their advantage hovered around 10 points for much of the second half.
BIG PICTURE
Houston: The Cougars were back on the road after an exhausting, double-overtime victory at Wichita State on Sunday, but played with requisite energy and poise in a hostile environment to improve to 7-2 on the road and remain in sole possession of first place in the conference. The next three of their four remaining regular-season game are at home. The victory also gave Houston a sweep of the season series after a 72-63 victory in Houston on Feb. 2. But the crowd booed the Cougars loudly in the final minute when they continued to push the ball up the court and put on a dunking exhibition with a double-digit lead.
Tulane: The Green Wave were largely competitive but plagued by inconsistent shooting, difficulty securing rebounds and defensive breakdowns that gave some of Houston's most productive players open shots. But the Wave have become considerably more competitive in a year's time. When Tulane hosted Houston last season, the Cougars led by 30 in the first half en route to a 23-point victory.
UP NEXT
Houston: Hosts SMU on Sunday.
Tulane: Visits Temple on Sunday.
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