DeJon Jarreau had 18 points and seven assists to help No. 9 Houston beat UConn 71-63 on Thursday night for its ninth straight victory.
Armoni Brooks added 12 points for the Cougars (24-1, 11-1 American Athletic Conference). They opened the second half with a 17-4 run to take control.
Christian Vital had 15 points for UConn (13-12, 4-8). The Huskies have lost three straight since a knee injury took out scoring leader Jalen Adams.
Jarreau's driving layup gave Houston a 17-point lead with just over 7 1/2 minutes to go. UConn cut it to 61-55 after a 3-pointer by Sidney Wilson and a free throw from Christian Vital.
Another driving layup by Jarreau, followed by a steal and two foul shots from Cedrick Alley Jr. brought the lead back to double digits.
The Huskies failed to capitalize on 21 Houston fouls, going 14 of 25 from the line.
BIG PICTURE
Sports
UConn: The Huskies played without two stars. Junior point guard Alterique Gilbert missed his fifth straight game since suffering the latest in a series of injuries to his left shoulder. Adams has what may turn out to be a season-ending knee injury. The Huskies are 1-4 since Gilbert's injury.
Houston: The Cougars' bench, led by Jarreau, outscored UConn's 42-9. Chris Harris Jr., Cedrick Alley Jr. and Brison Gresham were a combined 9 for 9 from the floor.
UP NEXT
UConn: The Huskies have a week off before playing SMU in Texas on Feb. 21. The Huskies beat the Mustangs by 10 points last month in Storrs.
Houston: The Cougars head to New Orleans at face Tulane on Sunday.
