National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Houston 79, Montana 44
When: 4:00 PM ET, Friday, November 24, 2023
Where: Fertitta Center, Houston, Texas
Officials: # Kelly Self, # Chris Pacsi, # Todd Austin
Attendance: 7451

LJ Cryer had more points than visiting Montana for parts of the game as No. 6 Houston dominated the visiting Grizzlies in a 79-44 romp Friday afternoon.

Cryer finished with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field with five 3-point baskets.

J'Wan Roberts and Jamal Shead scored 13 points apiece and reserve Emanuel Sharp posted 11 points for Houston (7-0). Shead provided seven assists.

Money Williams notched 15 points off the bench, with six of his points coming on free throws, for Montana (2-3), which shot 32.6 percent from the field and 3-for-17 on treys. The Grizzlies got more points from their reserves (27) than their starters (17).

Aanen Moody, who led Montana in scoring in three of the first four games, was scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting from the field.

When Houston led 48-16, Cryer had 19 points.

Cryer, a transfer from Baylor, now has 22 of Houston's 56 baskets from 3-point range this season.

Houston didn't seem deterred from building on the momentum of winning the recent Charleston Classic by winning three neutral-court games. The Cougars improved to 4-0 in home games.

Concerns for the Cougars, who have a week off before a game at Xavier, might come from 18-for-30 shooting on free throws.

Cryer hit four 3-point shots in the first half as the Cougars built a 41-14 halftime lead. Houston scored the last 10 points of the half, with two 3s from Cryer among those as he had as many first-half points as the entire Montana team.

Cryer had eight of Houston's first 23 points. The Cougars led 25-7 as Montana connected on only three of its first 15 shots from the field and had just two rebounds on those misses.

The margin grew to 30-10 on Sharp's 3-pointer off an assist from Cryer.

Three Montana starters didn't score in the first half. The Grizzlies were 5-for-23 from the field.

This was the first-ever meeting between the teams.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Montana   Houston
Money Williams 15 Scoring LJ Cryer 24
Brandon Whitney 3 Assists Jamal Shead 7
Giordan Williams 9 Rebounds Terrance Arceneaux 9
Money Williams 6 Free Throws Made J'Wan Roberts 3
Te'Jon Sawyer 1 Steals Jamal Shead 4
Dischon Thomas 1 Blocks Joseph Tugler 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Montana 44 32.6 3-17 13-19 7 26 1 2 16
Houston 79 46.6 7-24 18-30 12 42 4 9 4