Kirk Van Slyke scored a career-high 19 points before fouling out as visiting Houston held off a second-half rally to upset shorthanded Arkansas 87-78 on Friday.

Alandise Harris added 18 points for the Cougars (3-0), who shot 52.5 percent from the field and won the first meeting between the former Southwest Conference rivals since 1991.

The Razorbacks (2-1) were playing without leading scorer Marshawn Powell, who injured his right knee in practice Thursday.

Houston broke open a tie game at intermission with a 23-6 run to open the second half that gave the Cougars a 15-point lead with 13:01 remaining.

The Razorbacks stormed back over the next nine-plus minutes to move to within 72-68, but layups on three consecutive possessions allowed the Cougars to hold off the swarming Arkansas defense.

Julysses Nobles finished with 17 points for Arkansas, which lost despite winning the turnover battle 20-10.

The loss was also the first for new Razorbacks coach Mike Anderson in his return to the Arkansas bench after serving as an assistant there from 1985-2002.