HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Portland Pilots fell to the Houston Cougars 81-56 in the opening game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Pilots will move into the consolation bracket and face either Boise State on Monday.

Houston, a NCAA Sweet 16 team last year, led start-to-finish and used an early 10-0 Houston run to take an 18-7 lead and never looked back.

Quentin Grimes led a balanced Houston attack with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Ten different Cougars scored in the game.

Malcolm Porter was the lone Portland player in double figures with 11 points.

The Cougars (8-3) jumped out to a 39-26 halftime advantage and would lead by as much as 30 points late in regulation.

the Pilots (8-5) struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the physical and athletic Cougars. Portland shot 39 percent from the field, while Houston shot 50 percent overall.

Portland, top 20 in the nation in three-point shooting entering the contest, finished just 7of-24 from beyond the arc.

Houston is one of the top rebounding teams in the country and used its size and strength to gain a 40-27 rebounding edge and 38-18 advantage in paint points.

The Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic continues on Monday and will conclude on Christmas Day. The Pilots will play Boise State on Monday at 1:30 p.m. (PST) on ESPNU. Visit www.hawaiianairlinesdiamondheadclassic.com for complete tournament details.