University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
0-1
at Wisconsin
1-0
Women's Basketball Falls To Wisconsin, 77-54
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 18, 2005
MADISON, Wis. - Despite a career-best 28 points from Sha'Ratta Hawkins (Houston, Texas/Jesse Jones HS), the University of Houston women's basketball team could not overcome a 24-point halftime deficit and lost its season opener to Wisconsin, 77-54, Friday at the Kohl Center.
Hawkins opened up her UH career in style on a 10 for 20 shooting night, including a 5 for 9 effort from behind the arc, leading all scorers with 28 points. She also added four rebounds, a pair of blocks and turnovers and a steal.
The freshman's efforts were not enough to slow down a Badgers (1-0) squad that committed just one turnover in the opening half. UW never trailed in the game and, despite committing 11 turnovers in a sloppy second half, still hung on for the 23-point win.
The second 20 minutes was slow to get started as the two teams combined for just 11 points and eight turnovers in the first eight minutes. Ryan Meyers (Arlington, Texas/Arlington HS/Grayson County CC) tallied UH's first six points and UH trailed 53-30 at 12:31. Hawkins and Meyers combined to lead an 18-10 UH run over the next 9:08 that brought the Cougars to 18 at 70-52.
The Cougars (0-1) would score just one more basket in the final three minutes as the Badgers closed it out on a 7-2 run to take the 77-54 victory. Meyers finished the game with 14 points, the only other UH student-athlete to break double-figures. Meyers tied with Emily Fryters (Adelaide, SA, Australia/Concordia College) for the team high with seven rebounds.
The Cougars showed some inside presence with seven blocks on the evening. Sha'Quaylon McKinney (Dallas, Texas/Skyline HS/Trinity Valley CC) had a career-best three stuffs. Wisconsin won the battle of the boards by a 48-36 margin, but the Cougars controlled the offensive boards (9-8) in the second half. UH mustered just six assists, compared to 21 for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was lead by 20 points from Jolene Anderson while Janese Banks poured in 19 and Danielle Ward added 10. Ward and Annie Nelson tied for the game high with nine rebounds.
UH trailed 48-24 at the break following a first half in which the Cougars were just 10 for 31 (.323) from the line. Four of UH's 10 field goals were from behind the arc with Hawkins draining three of those. She added another bucket to lead the team with 11 points at the half.
Nine of Wisconsin's players tallied points, including two in double figures, as the Badgers were 19 for 40 (.475) from the floor in the first 20 minutes. Anderson and Banks led the way in the half with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Wisconsin opened up an early 12-6 lead, making five of its first seven shots with five different players contributing. The Cougars faced scoring droughts of 2:25, 2:40 and 4:58 in the half, with UW outscoring UH 26-11 during that span, giving the Badgers a 40-19 advantage with 3:50 left.
UW had its biggest lead of the half after Banks sank a pair of free throws with 98 ticks left on the clock to go up 25, 46-21. A three by Kadi Creel (Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville HS) moved the lead to 46-24 but UW moved it back to 24 on the next possession off a layup from Caitlin Gibson with 52 seconds left. UH had two chances in the final minute, but turned the ball over each time to trail 48-24 heading into the locker room.
The Cougars returns home for a Sunday afternoon contest against Long Beach State at Hofheinz Pavilion. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. Long Beach State dropped its season opener, 71-68, Friday night against TCU in overtime.
