Hawkins Buzzer-Beater Leads Cougars Past UAB 74-71

Sunday, February 26

Birmingham, Ala.

2:00 PM

University of Houston

11-16, 8-8

* at UAB

14-13, 7-9

Houston

UAB

2/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Feb. 26, 2006

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sha'Ratta Hawkins (Houston, Texas/Jesse Jones HS) swished a half-court shot as time expired the lead the University of Houston women's basketball team to a comeback victory over UAB, 74-71, Sunday in Conference USA action at Bartow Arena.

Hawkins took the ball off the inbounds pass after UAB's Diamond Rogers sank three-straight free throws with five seconds left. Rogers was fouled while attempting a game-tying triple. UH's freshman sharp-shooter took three dribbles and let loose with a 50-foot heave that tickled the twine as the buzzer sounded, setting off bedlam among the Cougars players and staff.

Houston (11-16, 8-8 C-USA) closed out the regular season with two-straight wins and won its fourth in-a-row over the Blazers (14-13, 7-9 C-USA). The Cougars trailed by 12 midway through the first half and by seven early in the second 20 minutes.

UH used an 8-4 run after halftime to lead 41-40 with 17:13 to go. UAB ran off an 8-2 advantage over the next few minutes as Britney Jones knocked down a pair of three's, giving the Blazers a seven-point cushion at 52-45 with 11:10 left. The Cougars were held without a field goal for a 7:35 span that saw them go 0 for 8 from the floor. All seven of UH's points during that span came from Tye Jackson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Purdue) free throws.

Jackson nearly led the Cougars back from the 12-point first-half deficit by herself. She tallied 27 of UH's 41 second-half points, including the team's first 22 on the board, before fouling out with 58.7 left in the game. She finished the game with 35 points, her second career 30-point game. The sophomore transfer was 12 for 27 from the field and 10 for 12 from the foul line with seven boards in six assists.

The teams traded buckets with Houston chipping away at the UAB margin, getting within one twice. Nakazi Glover (Brookshire, Texas/Bellaire HS) knocked down a pair of free throws with 5:39 left to give UH the lead at 57-56. The lead was traded twice more in the next two minutes and a three-point play from Jackson with 2:20 left gave UH the lead for the final time, 65-62.

Houston's Becky Gibson (Macon, Ga./Westside HS/Coffeyville CC) tallied the next five points by herself, hitting a runner in the lane and two free throws, giving the Cougars their largest lead of the night, 69-64 with 1:10 left. After Jackson's fifth foul, Crystal McFadden hit both free throws and a layup by Jones as the shot clock was running down on the next possession pulled UAB to within one, 69-68 with 16 seconds left.

Kadi Creel (Duncanville, Texas/Duncanville HS), who replaced Jackson in the lineup, was fouled in the lane the next time down the floor. She sank both free throws for her only two points of the night, giving Houston a three-point cushion, 71-68, with 13 ticks on the clock, setting up the last-second flurry of action.

Hawkins finished with 14 points, seven boards, four blocks and four steals. Emily Fryters (Adelaide, Australia/Concordia College) pulled down eight rebounds and added four points and two steals.

UAB was led by Britney Jones' 18 points and Crystal McFadden's 14. None of the Blazers five starters found double figures and 44 of Blazer's 71 points came from bench players.

UH will be in action March 2 at the C-USA Women's Basketball Championship at SMU's Moody Coliseum in Dallas. The Cougars will learn their seed and opponent when the league office releases the official bracket and pairings at 6 p.m. CST Sunday night.

The Cougars will be seeded somewhere between No. 6 and No. 10. Tulsa, Rice, SMU and Southern Miss all locked up first-round byes while Marshall earned the No. 5 seed via its victory over Southern Miss Sunday afternoon.