University of Houston
13-12, 4-8
Southern Miss
12-13, 5-7
Lady Cougars Squeeze By Southern Miss 53-52
2/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2003
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - All-American Chandi Jones posted 24 points and 10 rebounds as the University of Houston women's basketball team upset Southern Miss 53-52 Sunday afternoon at the Reed Green Coliseum. The win in Hattiesburg was the first Conference USA road win of the season for the Lady Cougars, who improved to 13-12 overall and 4-8 in league play.
Jones, who currently leads the nation in scoring, (27.4 ppg), posted her tenth double-double of the season and added seven steals in the win. Shondra Bush was the other Lady Cougar to score in double figures, adding 13 points - six of them from two crucial second-half three pointers. KiKi Harris and Nicole Oliver each pulled down eight of Houston's 39 rebounds.
Dana Jones and Allison Story led Southern Miss with 10 points each as the Lady Eagles fell to 12-13 and 5-7 in the conference.
Hampered by poor shooting and an abundance of turnovers, both teams suffered a slow start. After missing her first eight shots, Jones connected on a jumper and made the accompanying free throw to bring the Lady Cougars within one, 13-12, with seven minutes remaining in the half.
The teams traded baskets and the lead but the Lady Eagles ended the half with an 8-1 run and took a 28-20 lead at the break. Both squads committed 12 turnovers each while Houston was 7-27 from the floor (25.9 percent) and Southern Miss 9-26 (34.6 percent), respectively.
The Lady Cougars opened the second half with back-to-back three pointers by Jones and Bush to spark a 10-2 run that tied the game at 30. Jones knocked down two free throws and then hit two treys to give Houston the 40-38 lead with 10:37 on the clock. Jones kept the hot hand, scoring the Lady Cougars' next six points until Bush hit her second trey of the half to bring Houston up by three, 48-45.
With 3:22 remaining in the game, Bush hit a jumper to tie the game for the tenth time, 51-51. Jones nailed two more free throws and Alex Webster made one as the Lady Cougars held onto a 53-52 lead and the win.
Houston will wrap up its regular season in the friendly confines of Hofheinz Pavilion as it faces South Florida Friday at 7 p.m. and UAB Sunday at 2 p.m. The top 12 league finishers will advance to the 2003 Conference USA tournament to be held March 6-9 in Memphis, Tenn.
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