University of Houston
7-3
Texas A&M
7-3
Lady Cougars Celebrate Year End With Win Over Aggies
12/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2002
HOUSTON - All-American junior Chandi Jones poured in 26 and senior Angela Curl had a career-high 20 points including six three-pointers as the University of Houston women's basketball team defeated Texas A&M 87-74 at Hofheinz Pavilion on New Year's Eve. The victory was the fourth in a row at home for the Lady Cougars (7-3, 0-0 C-USA), who defeated the Aggies (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) for the first time since Feb. 18, 1995.
Jones, a two-time 2002 Conference USA Player of the Week and the 2002 C-USA Player of the Year, led all scorers with 26 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had three steals in 33 minutes. Curl was 6-8 from behind the arc totaling a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds on the night for the Lady Cougars. Shondra Bush posted a solid 16 points while Lashinda Winters added a career-high 12 points and five steals in her second game as a Lady Cougar.
Texas A&M was led by Mindy Garrison, who was 7-15 from the floor and 4-8 from behind the arc for 19 points and six rebounds. Toccara Williams put in 16 points and led the Aggies with five steals while Janae Derrick shot 50 percent for 13 points. Kim Moore and Lynn Classen rounded out the Aggis offense with 11 points and seven rebounds each.
Sparked by a Jones jumper and trey, Houston opened the contest with an 11-3 run and held the Aggies to single digits for eight minutes, leading 22-9 until the 11:56 mark. The Lady Cougars scored eight unanswered points and increased their lead to 22 points (35-13), forcing an Aggie timeout with less than seven minutes to go in the half. Bush scored 12 of her 16 in the last seven minutes as Houston led 47-27 at the half.
Texas A&M threated early in the second half with three quick layups until Winters scored six points of her own on three fast breaks in less than a minute. The Aggies came within seven points until a double technical on Bush and TAMU's Tressie Mason slowed down the game's pace and the Aggie rally. The teams exchanged baskets but Houston kept the lead until the buzzer and held on to win 87-74.
Houston outshot Texas A&M 55.0 to 31.3 percent from behind the arc and racked up 17 steals, scoring 33 points off 22 Aggie turnovers. The Lady Cougars now lead the all-time series against Texas A&M 33-20 and are riding a two-game win streak.
Action returns to Hofheinz as Houston hosts Alabama Saturday as part of a double-header with the men's squad. The Lady Cougars will tip off Jan. 4 against the Lady Razorbacks at 2 p.m. and the men will face Louisiana Lafayette at 7:30 p.m.
