Fabian White Jr. scored 21 points and No. 6 Houston held off visiting Tulane for its 11th consecutive victory, 73-62 on Wednesday night.
Josh Carlton added 14 points, Taze Moore scored 12 and Ramon Walker Jr. had 11 for the Cougars (19-2, 8-0 American Athletic Conference).
Kevin Cross scored 17, Tylan Pope came off the bench to add 14 and Jaylen Forbes and Jalen Cook scored 11 each to lead the Green Wave (9-10, 6-4).
Tulane outscored Houston 20-7 at the free-throw line as it scored six points more than the No. 2 scoring defense in the country is allowing on average and 15 more than the Cougars had allowed on average in their last three games.
The Green Wave scored 10 of the first 13 points of the second half to get within 44-40.
They got within four twice more before White’s 3-pointer gave the Cougars a seven-point lead.
Tulane cut the deficit to five points twice before Walker scored five points during an 8-0 run that gave Houston a 61-48 lead.
Pope’s 3-pointer ended a 3:14 scoring drought and a 6:30 field-goal drought for the Green Wave, cutting the deficit to 10 with seven minutes remaining.
Tulane got within seven, but Moore answered with a jumper for the Cougars.
The Green Wave got within seven again, but Carlton’s dunk and Moore’s layup gave Houston a 71-60 lead with 2:06 left.
Houston led by six points twice in the early going before Pope’s 3-pointer pulled Tulane within 12-11.
The Cougars led by six on three more occasions before Cook’s 3-pointer got the Green Wave within 22-21.
Jamal Shead, who was limited to 17 minutes by foul trouble, responded with a 3-pointer to start a 7-0 run that gave Houston a 29-21 lead.
Tulane made three free throws, but White negated them with a 3-pointer.
Pope’s layup ended a nearly seven-minute field-goal drought for the Green Wave, but Walker scored four points as the Cougars closed with a 9-4 run to take a 41-30 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
