http://www.ybnmedia.com/colleges/Houston_Cougars/114 Recent articles about Houston Cougars en-us As soon as the final buzzer sounded on Houston's stunning 81-73 upset of top-seeded UTEP in the Conference USA final, junior guard Adam Brown made a beeline for the first TV camera he could find."Nobody expected it, but we got it done," Brown shouted into the camera. In truth, none of us did expect this. And how could we? When the seventh-seeded Cougars began this week's Conference USA tournament, they were a .500 team with a one-dimensional offense and an embattled coach likely one loss away from getting the axe. Now Houston has gone from afterthought to center stage, possibly saving coach Tom Penders' job thanks to an unlikely run of four straight victories to earn the program's first NCAA tournament berth since 1992.Although Penders had won at least 18 games in each of his first five seasons at Houston, the Cougars had never advanced past the Conference USA tournament semifinals or done enough damage outside their league to merit an at-large bid. As a result, attendance and recruiting has suffered, leading to speculation that Penders might be encouraged to retire after the season. If the Cougars' unlikely run saved Penders' job and made them the toast of Houston for the next few days, it will also make for a white-knuckle 24 hours in cities like Gainesville, Seattle and Blacksburg. Because UTEP will now make the NCAA tournament as at-large team instead of via Conference USA's automatic bid, Houston's win will cost some unlucky bubble team its spot in the field.Had you told bubble teams that UTEP would lead by nine with eight minutes to go and that the nation's leading scorer, Aubrey Coleman, would make just 4 of 20 shots, they probably would have felt somewhat safe. UTEP failed to hold that lead, though, because Coleman's much-maligned supporting cast sank some big jumpers and then the Miners got uncharacteristically tentative and turnover-prone as the pressure intensified. When Penders coached at Texas earlier in his career, he became known as Turnaround Tom or Mr. March as a result of some unexpected runs during college basketball's biggest month. On Saturday, Turnaround Tom added another chapter to his legacy. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 15:32:51 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_steals_a_bid_perhaps_saves_Tom_Penders_job/2241819 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_steals_a_bid_perhaps_saves_Tom_Penders_job/2241819 Kelvin Lewis scored 28 points and Houston surged past No. 25 UTEP down the stretch to claim its first NCAA tournament berth in 18 years with an 81-73 victory in the Conference USA tournament title game that snapped the Miners' 16-game winning streak. National scoring leader Aubrey Coleman struggled through a 4-for-20 shooting performance for the seventh-seeded Cougars (19-15), but came up with... Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:10:21 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_earns_first_NCAA_berth_since_92_AP/2241409 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_earns_first_NCAA_berth_since_92_AP/2241409 Houston earns first NCAA berth since '92 (AP) http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_earns_first_NCAA_berth_since_92_AP/2241409 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/5/3/538d02e3dd3f2539fa154b3a11b11d3efe8970c8/mini/f3.jpg Kelvin Lewis scored 28 points and made 11-of-15 shots as the Cougars shocked the Miners, 81-73, on Saturday in Tulsa. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:41:24 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Houston_Stuns_UTEP_in_C_USA_Tournament_Final/2241575 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Houston_Stuns_UTEP_in_C_USA_Tournament_Final/2241575 M. Basketball. Houston Stuns UTEP in C-USA Tournament Final http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Houston_Stuns_UTEP_in_C_USA_Tournament_Final/2241575 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/5/3/538d02e3dd3f2539fa154b3a11b11d3efe8970c8/mini/f3.jpg Houston Cougars vs. UTEP Miners Pick: Click here for expert college basketball picks | Bet: Click here to bet on this game | Odds: Click here for current odds If Conference USA ultimately ...Read the full article on Bleacher Report... Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:09:22 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/Conference_USA_Championship_Houston_vs_UTEP_Odds_Pick_March_13th_2010/2244979 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/Conference_USA_Championship_Houston_vs_UTEP_Odds_Pick_March_13th_2010/2244979 National scoring leader Aubrey Coleman had 27 points and Maurice McNeil had two critical offensive rebounds down the stretch as Houston held off Southern Miss 74-66 Friday night to advance to the Conference USA championship game. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:07:40 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_reaches_conference_final_with_74_66_win/2238824 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_reaches_conference_final_with_74_66_win/2238824 Houston reaches conference final with 74-66 win http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_reaches_conference_final_with_74_66_win/2238824 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/5/3/538d02e3dd3f2539fa154b3a11b11d3efe8970c8/mini/f3.jpg National scoring leader Aubrey Coleman had 27 points and Maurice McNeil had two critical offensive rebounds down the stretch as Houston held off Southern Miss 74-66 Friday night to advance to the Conference USA championship game. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:04:40 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_Defeats_Southern_Miss_74_66/2238427 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_Defeats_Southern_Miss_74_66/2238427 Houston Defeats Southern Miss, 74-66 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_Defeats_Southern_Miss_74_66/2238427 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg National scoring leader Aubrey Coleman had 27 points and Maurice McNeil had two critical offensive rebounds down the stretch as Houston held off Southern Miss 74-66 Friday night to advance to the Conference USA championship game. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:58:32 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Southern_Miss_Falls_to_Houston/2238409 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Southern_Miss_Falls_to_Houston/2238409 Southern Miss Falls to Houston http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Southern_Miss_Falls_to_Houston/2238409 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg UAB-Tulane C-USA Championship Game Notes | Gametracker | Listen The sixth-seeded UAB women's basketball team edged the No. 2 seed Houston Cougars, 70-65, on Wednesday to advance to the championship game of the 2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Championship against top-seeded Tulane on Friday at 12:30 p.m. CST. The game will air live on CBS College Sports with Ann Schatz and Tammy Blackburn on the call from the Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa, Okla. It marks the second time in program history that UAB has reached the C-USA title game, with the only previous showing in 2000. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:46:32 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/W_Basketball_UAB_Faces_No_1_Tulane_for_C_USA_Title_Friday/2231690 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/W_Basketball_UAB_Faces_No_1_Tulane_for_C_USA_Title_Friday/2231690 Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:03:13 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Buzzer_beater_lifts_Houston_past_Memphis/2230365 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Buzzer_beater_lifts_Houston_past_Memphis/2230365 Buzzer-beater lifts Houston past Memphis http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Buzzer_beater_lifts_Houston_past_Memphis/2230365 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Willie Kemp scored 15 points for No. 2 seed Memphis (23-9), including its final five baskets, all on drives to the right of the hoop. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:46:22 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_stuns_Memphis_on_Colemans_shot_AP/2230392 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_stuns_Memphis_on_Colemans_shot_AP/2230392 Houston stuns Memphis on Coleman's shot (AP) http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_stuns_Memphis_on_Colemans_shot_AP/2230392 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/5/3/538d02e3dd3f2539fa154b3a11b11d3efe8970c8/mini/f3.jpg Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:45:00 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign_in_C_USA/2230292 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign_in_C_USA/2230292 Houston holds on to end Memphis' reign in C-USA http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign_in_C_USA/2230292 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:45:00 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/ltb_gtC_USA_ltb_gt_Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign/2230356 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/ltb_gtC_USA_ltb_gt_Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign/2230356 <b>C-USA:</b> Houston holds on to end Memphis' reign http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/ltb_gtC_USA_ltb_gt_Houston_holds_on_to_end_Memphis_reign/2230356 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:41:14 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_upsets_Memphis_66_65_on_last_second_shot/2230237 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_upsets_Memphis_66_65_on_last_second_shot/2230237 Houston upsets Memphis 66-65 on last-second shot http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/Houston_upsets_Memphis_66_65_on_last_second_shot/2230237 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/e/0/e0f3c0fa4ad17c9f5032b6adc6375ff9dfbabae7/mini/PicImg_NCAA_BASKETBALL_MAR_8391.jpg Aubrey Coleman scored 21 points, including a leaner in the lane with 5 seconds remaining, as Houston upset four-time defending Conference USA tournament champion Memphis 66-65 in the quarterfinals Thursday. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:28:09 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Cougars_Shock_Memphis_In_C_USA_Quarterfinals_66_65/2230487 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Cougars_Shock_Memphis_In_C_USA_Quarterfinals_66_65/2230487 M. Basketball. Cougars Shock Memphis In C-USA Quarterfinals, 66-65 http://www.ybnmedia.com/college_basketball/article_external/M_Basketball_Cougars_Shock_Memphis_In_C_USA_Quarterfinals_66_65/2230487 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/5/3/538d02e3dd3f2539fa154b3a11b11d3efe8970c8/mini/f3.jpg A few days ago, I wrote college teams in and around the Houston area were beginning championship week in their respective conferences. Here's an update: Rice Owls: lost to UTEP, 62-61, Monday, March 8, in the first round of the C-USA Championship. Houston Cougars: defeated UTEP, 57-55, March 9, in the quarterfinals of the C-USA; lost to UAB, 70-65, March 10, in the C-USA semi-finals. If top-seed Tulane wins the C-USA Championship, UH, as the 2nd place finisher in C-USA (during the regular-season), would earn an invite to the WNIT. Lamar Lady Cardinals: defeated 8th-seed Southeastern Louisiana, Tuesday, March 9, 88-64, in the third Southland Conference quarterfinal game. Lamar plays 5th-seed Texas-Arlington, March 11, at 2:30 p.m., in Katy, TX, at the Merrell Center, in semi-final game number two. Sam Houston State Lady Kats: lost to Texas A&M-Corpus Christ, 99-79, Tuesday afternoon, in the second quarterfinal game of the SLC Championship. Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers: the number 2-seed Lady Panthers lost to 7th seed Alabama State, 50-48, March 10, in the opening round of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. However, if Southern University wins the SWAC Championship, PV, as the 2nd place finisher in the SWAC (during the regular season), would an invitation to the WNIT. Texas Southern University Lady Tigers: play 4th-seed Grambling State, March 11, at 5:30 p.m. in the final quarterfinal game of the women's SWAC Championship. Houston Baptist University Huskies: play 2nd-seed Texas-Pan American (UTPA), March 11, at 6 p.m. in the first round of the Great West Conference Championship. Texas A&M Aggies: play the winner of the Texas (5th-seed) / Missouri (12th-seed) game, Friday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m. in the second quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Championship. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/wwe/article_external/Update_on_Area_Teams_in_Conference_Tournaments/2228713 http://www.ybnmedia.com/wwe/article_external/Update_on_Area_Teams_in_Conference_Tournaments/2228713 Update on Area Teams in Conference Tournaments http://www.ybnmedia.com/wwe/article_external/Update_on_Area_Teams_in_Conference_Tournaments/2228713 http://www.ybnmedia.com/media/2/8/28fcea0c15e09fc238604f3268e0374888ae5ca6/mini/Donovan_directs_Gators_2e8d.jpg The Houston Cougars have had a huge week landing five big-time commits in the last two days, including Houston Lamar offensive tackle prospect Kourtlandt Akins. Rivals.com AMP sat down with three of newest Cougars last week at the Rivals.com Houston Five-Star Academy to talk about their recruitment. Check out what they had to say about the U of H in this exclusive video. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:04:00 -0500 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/AMP_Huge_week_for_U_of_H/2221661 http://www.ybnmedia.com/all_sports/article_external/AMP_Huge_week_for_U_of_H/2221661