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It was a tough night for the Troy Trojans on Tuesday, dropping a road game against the No. 15-ranked Houston Cougars by a score of 62-42.

Troy struggled offensively all night long, shooting 27 percent from the field. The Trojans didn’t even crack double digits scoring until the final 10 seconds of the first half. Troy was also outrebounded 38-36 and turned the ball over 12 times. Meanwhile, Houston shot 43.1 percent from the field, including 47.4 percent from three-point range. Troy knocked down just 2-of-18 three-point attempts.

“There’s just no way to mimic what Houston does; the relentlessness and the size,” Troy Coach Scott Cross said. “They are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and in the first half it really showed. There’s a reason why they have made it to the final four in recent years and why they are at the top of its league nearly every year. I’ve got a ton of respect for their program. We will be able to learn a lot of lessons now that our guys understand it.”

Dothan native Thomas Dowd led Troy in the loss with 10 points and four rebounds, while Tayton Conerway scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds with two steals. No other Trojan scored more than five points. LJ Cryer led Houston with 22 points, while Emanuel Sharp scored 14 points and earned three steals with four assists.

Troy will look to rebound back at home against Middle Georgia State on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The Troy Women’s team will also play Memphis at home on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the first game of the Trojan Arena doubleheader.