Marcus Sasser looked great with 22 points, and top-seeded Houston choked out local favorite Auburn in the second half to take an 81-64 win at the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night.
The Cougars (33-3) closed a 10-point gap after the break, coming back from the break with a hard time on their shoulders.
In essence, by cutting off the track, Houston was playing with the desperation of a national championship contender who was not prepared to suffer the same fate as No. 1 Purdue and Kansas, who had already been sent home.
Led by Tramon Mark with 26 points, Houston took the lead to face No. 4 in Indiana or No. 5 in Miami, who play Sunday at the Sweet 16 in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Tramon Mark of the Houston Cougars reacts after a second half game against the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Kevin K. Cox/Getty Images)
The Tigers (21-13) were doomed to fail with over 10.5 minutes without a field goal and only completed 4 of 24 field goals in the second half.
Auburn did pick up a lot of fouls but struggled hard on the line with 19 of 36. Jaylene Williams and Joni Broom led the Tigers with 14 points each.
Sasser suffered a groin injury last week, but it didn’t seem to give him any problems. As he swung a 3-pointer to put Houston ahead 46-45, he let out a determined yell as he made his way back down the court.
He finished 5 out of 9 after the arc.
Sasser’s only problem was messy troubles. The All-American guard and point guard Jamal Shed were sent to the bench with four fouls each, with the game still in doubt.
But Mark kept the Cougars on the offensive, and the defense under Jaras Walker simply refused to let Auburn back in the game.
Houston Cougars fans cheer in the second half against the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Kevin K. Cox/Getty Images)
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Houston had 12 blocks, half of which Walker demolished. Houston scored the final nine to blast him at the end, and Sasser landed another key shot from behind a three-point streak.
Auburn went 17-4 in the last 5.5 minutes of the first half. Williams scored eight of those points by hitting a three-pointer and also converting a three-pointer.
Houston missed six of the last eight shots in the half, and his only baskets came in a couple layups.
But the Cougars won’t say no, even if the Tigers have an advantage in their home state. The Legacy Arena in Birmingham is just two hours from their East Alabama campus.
Marcus Sasser of the Houston Cougars reacts during the second half against the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Kevin K. Cox/Getty Images)
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Auburn: The Tigers ended a controversial season in a fitting manner. They last won back-to-back games on January 18 and 21, ending the season having won only five of their last 15 games.
Houston: Sasser now has enough time to rest his groin, which should give him even more confidence that he will not have any more problems.
NEXT
Houston heads to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years under Calvin Sampson. The Cougars have never won a national title despite six Final Four appearances.
