East Carolina's defeat of No. 5 Houston highlighted American Athletic Conference men's basketball action on Wednesday (Feb. 3).

East Carolina 82, No. 5 Houston 73 - Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Jayden Gardner and East Carolina didn’t get to savor a sea of court-storming home fans after claiming a huge upset. Instead, the Pirates left the court in a somewhat subdued celebration — until letting loose in the locker room, that is.

“I’m out of breath,” Gardner said with a smile.

Gardner had 21 points and 15 rebounds to help ECU stun fifth-ranked Houston 82-73 on Wednesday night, securing the Pirates’ first win against a ranked opponent in nearly two decades. It was the Cougars’ first loss of 2021, a performance that befuddled coach Kelvin Sampson.

“We just didn’t look like we were playing Cougar basketball tonight,” Sampson said, “in no form or fashion.”

Tremont Robinson-White added 17 points for East Carolina, which defied season-long offensive struggles against one of the nation’s top defensive teams. East Carolina shot 47% and made 11 of 24 3-pointers — and more impressively, the Pirates led for the last 12-plus minutes against a Houston team that struggled to make much of anything after halftime.

East Carolina (8-6, 2-6 American Athletic Conference) hadn’t won a game in more than a month between five straight losses and three postponements. The Pirates were also down starting swingman Brandon Suggs to injury and lost reserve guard Tyrie Jackson during the game to an apparent leg injury.

The Pirates still found an unforgettable way to end a 33-game losing streak against AP Top 25 teams, though it came with a limited number of attendees in Minges Coliseum due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think they’re starting to get used to it,” ECU coach Joe Dooley said. “I think it would have been nice for our fans to be share that now, I do say. ... But I’ve got to give the credit to kids throughout the country, the credit for lining up and doing this this year.”

Houston (15-2, 10-2) came in as KenPom’s No. 2-ranked defense, allowing 86 points per 100 possessions, while also ranking as one of the nation’s top rebounding teams. But the Cougars didn’t do much to hold down the Pirates in either category while sputtering offensively.

DeJon Jarreau matched his career high with 25 points to lead the Cougars, who had won nine straight meetings dating to 2015, including wins by double-digit margins on ECU’s home floor in each of the past four seasons. But top scorer Quentin Grimes struggled to just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting.

“At the end of the day, you know what it is?” Sampson said. “It comes down to the coach, man. The coach has got to do a better job of getting his team ready to play.”

Memphis 75, UCF 61 - Box Score

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Landers Nolley II had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lift Memphis to a 75-61 win over UCF on Wednesday night.

D.J. Jeffries had 11 points for Memphis (11-6, 7-3 American Athletic Conference), which earned its fifth consecutive home victory. Alex Lomax added six assists.

Darius Perry had 18 points for the Knights (4-9, 2-8). C.J. Walker added 15 points and seven rebounds. Darin Green Jr. had 13 points.

The Tigers improve to 2-0 against the Knights this season. Memphis defeated UCF 96-69 Monday.

Wichita State 75, Tulane 67 - Box Score

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Tyson Etienne had 22 points as Wichita State beat Tulane 75-67 on Wednesday night.

Alterique Gilbert had 17 points for Wichita State (10-4, 6-2 American Athletic Conference), which earned its sixth straight home victory. Dexter Dennis added four blocks. Trey Wade had seven rebounds.

Jordan Walker scored a season-high 23 points for the Green Wave (7-6, 2-6). Tylan Pope added 13 points and eight rebounds. Jaylen Forbes had six rebounds.

Tulane totaled 48 second-half points, a season high for the team.

SMU 65, Tulsa 63 - Box Score

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Kendric Davis had 22 points and 10 assists and SMU held off Tulsa for a 65-63 win on Wednesday night.

SMU led 64-52 with 3:25 remaining. A 10-1 run, capped by Austin Richie’s jumper, pulled Tulsa to 65-62 with 30 seconds to go. SMU’s Yor Anei blocked Curtis Haywood II’s layup, and following timeouts from both teams, Brandon Rachal missed a potential game-tying 3 with four seconds left.

But Tyson Jolly fouled Richie on a 3-point attempt. Richie missed the first free throw, made the second shot, and then Feron Hunt grabbed the rebound from the third shot to seal it for the Mustangs.

Hunt finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for SMU (10-4, 6-4 American Athletic Conference). Jolly added seven rebounds.

Haywood matched a career high with 18 points and Rachal had 15 points. Elijah Joiner added 10 points for the Golden Hurricane (9-7, 6-5).