ABOVE: Tramon Mark #12 of the Houston Cougars shoots over Wendell Green Jr. #1 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The University of Houston men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA’s Sweet 16 after defeating Auburn 81-64 on Saturday. After trailing by double digits at halftime, the Cougars flipped the script in the second half, powered by stout defense and some second-half heroics from guard Tramon Mark.
Going into the game, uncertainty followed UH star guard Marcus Sasser, who aggravated a groin injury in last week’s opener against Northern Kentucky. But Sasser pushed past the pain to play nearly 31 minutes. “I probably felt it a couple of times,” Sasser said Saturday. “But it was pain I could go through and keep pushing.”
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – MARCH 18: The Houston Cougars bench celebrates during the second half against the Auburn Tigers in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Sasser scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer. Auburn took a 6-3 behind baskets from forwards Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome. But Sasser drew a foul and hit all three of his free throws, tying the game. Then Houston went on a 9-2 run: Mark made back-to-back layups and answered guard Wendell Green Jr.’s jumper with one of his own before Sasser hit another three. Houston led 15-10.
The game stayed close for most of the second half, with four ties and several lead changes. But the Auburn Tigers scored ten unanswered points to take a 34-27 lead with 2:15 left. Auburn closed the first half on a 17-4 run while Houston missed six of its last eight shots, its only baskets coming on a pair of layups by juniors Jamal Shead and J’wan Roberts. Auburn led 41-31 at the half.
But the Cougars slowly chipped away at that lead as the second half began. Walker and Roberts were aggressive on defense, blocking shots by the Tigers and allowing Houston to catch up offensively. Mark scored first with a layup. Freshman forward Jarace Walker hit a wide-open three. Then, after an airball from Shead, Walker saved the ball from going out of bounds and passed to Sasser for a jump shot. Shead got fouled after a steal and sank two free throws. Then Sasser sank another three-pointer, narrowing the lead to two. Auburn led 45-43.
Three and a half minutes passed without a single point scored by either team. But Sasser’s step back three gave Houston a one-point lead with 12:57 to go. Auburn briefly retook the lead, thanks mostly to free throws by Broome and K.D. Johnson. But Walker and Roberts were aggressive on defense, blocking multiple shots by the Tigers.
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA – MARCH 18: Jarace Walker #25 of the Houston Cougars blocks a shot by Wendell Green Jr. #1 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 18, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Tramon Mark tied the game at 50 with a jumper; he went on to score eight of the next ten points for Houston (and 20 points total in the second half).
Led by Mark’s dynamic play, the Houston Cougars pulled away. With 5:53 remaining, Houston had its largest lead of the game, 62-55. That lead ballooned as Mark drew fouls, draining four free throws. Walker blocked Green’s shot and then assisted Reggie Chaney with a layup, bringing the lead to double digits. The Cougars led 70-57 before a media timeout with 3:37 left.
Before fouling out, Roberts assisted Walker with a dunk to pad the lead. And Houston closed the game with a 9-0 run. Sasser sank a corner three to make it 75-64 with 1:42 left before stealing a pass from Green. Sasser missed the layup, but Mark rebounded and tipped a shot in. Shead had the assist for one last Sasser layup to seal the game.
The Cougars won 81-64 after outscoring Auburn 50-23 in the second half. Tramon Mark scored a career-high 26 points; Sasser had 22 despite his injury. “We came out on fire,” Mark said after the game. “Everything was clicking for us in the second half.”
While the offensive outburst stood out, so did the defensive effort. Auburn made just 4 of 24 shots from the field in the second half as Houston squeezed the life out of the Tigers. Houston had 12 blocked shots, half of them by Jarace Walker (and five by J’Wan Roberts).