After trailing at halftime, the Cougars (8-7, 1-1) tied the score at 46 early in the second period with a layup by Kelvin Lewis, who finished with 12 points.
But the Hurricanes held the advantage after that, pulling ahead by as many as eight points in the final minutes.
The Cougars' Aubrey Coleman led the game in scoring with 25 points, while Maurice McNeil picked up 10. Houston forced 20 Hurricane turnovers and turned them into 27 points.
