Sharp’s second half surge steadies No. 8 Houston in win over No. 14 Arkansas

Redshirt senior guard Emanuel Sharp’s 16 second half points steadied No. 8 Houston in a 94-85 win over No. 14 Arkansas at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Sharp, who totaled 22 points, hit three critical 3-pointers in less than 90 seconds to elevate Houston’s lead to 14 with 15:32 remaining.

The Cougars forced 12 turnovers that led to 19 points, and limited Arkansas, the nation’s No. 2 team in fast-break points, to seven in the category.

UH used its defensive intensity to deliver on the offensive end and built its largest lead midway through the first half.

Just past the 10-minute mark, freshman guard Isiah Harwell knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Cougars their 40th point and cap a 21-2 run that gave them a 21-point lead. 

In the latter portion of the half, the Cougars went over five minutes without a field goal, until freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who finished with 21 points, drove the length of the court past freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. to end the drought with less than a minute before the break.

Before the half ended, a turnover from Flemings allowed Acuff, who scored a career-high 27 points, to take the last shot of the half, trimming Arkansas’s deficit to eight.

Fouls plagued Houston’s frontcourt, with junior forward JoJo Tugler limited to 15 minutes. He did not return after the first two minutes of the second half, while Cedric Lath picked up four fouls in just nine minutes off the bench.

Graduate guard Ramon Walker led Houston’s bench unit with 12 points and four rebounds. 

“Having Ramon is a blessing,” coach Kelvin Sampson said. “I knew that his experience would be there.”

Next, Houston, which improved to 11-1, plays its final non-conference game against Middle Tennessee on Dec. 29.