Guards Antonio Blakeney and Brandon Sampson combined for 39 points as LSU handed Houston its first loss 84-65 on Tuesday night in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.

Blakeney scored 23 points and Sampson had 16 as the Tigers (5-2) pulled away in the second half. LSU doesn't play again until it hosts North Carolina Central on Dec. 13. The Cougars, 5-1 after playing their first game on an opponent's home floor, will host Prairie View on Saturday.

Craig Victor scored 13 points in his first start of the season for LSU. He missed the first three games of the season while serving a suspension for violating an unspecified team rule, then came off the bench in the next three games. Aaron Epps scored 11.

Rob Gray Jr. led Houston with 19 points, Damyean Dotson scored 13 and Devin Davis had 12.

LSU had a three-point lead early in the second half before Blakeney scored five points during an 8-0 run. That gave the Tigers a 53-42 lead.

Bertrand Nkali's dunk stopped the run and Houston got within nine points three times but could get no closer.

Blakeney assisted on Wayde Sims' 3-pointer, which gave the Tigers a 61-49 lead with 12:04 left, and they maintained at least a 10-point lead the rest of the way.

The lead finally reached 20 (84-64) when Blakeney made a 3-pointer with 1:46 left.

Houston, which entered the game leading the American Athletic Conference in field-goal percentage (51.4), made five of its first seven shots to take a 12-11 lead.

The Cougars quickly cooled off, missing 11 of 14 shots as LSU took a 21-20 lead.

Gray scored 10 points before Dotson's 3-pointer gave Houston a 35-31 lead.

One free throw by Wes Van Beck and two by Nkali enabled the Cougars to keep a three-point lead before Sims' basket and Skylar Mays' layup with seven seconds left gave the Tigers a 39-38 halftime lead.