University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
-167, 83 CUSA
Tulane
-1411, 65 CUSA
Women's Basketball Upends Tulane 60-53 Thursday
2/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2009
HOUSTON - After a sluggish first half, sophomore Courtney Taylor erupted for 15 points in the game's final 20 minutes to lead the University of Houston women's basketball team to a 60-53 win over Conference USA-rival Tulane at Hofheinz Pavilion on Thursday.
Taylor led all scorers with a game high 21 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the floor and a 9-of-10 mark from the charity stripe. Joining Taylor in double-figures were freshmen Porsche Landry and Roxana Button, who finished with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Sophomore Brittany Mason pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds to lead all players.
Houston (16-7, 8-3 C-USA) moved within half a game of UCF for second place in the conference standings, just a game and a half back from conference leader Southern Miss.
"This was a huge win for us tonight," head coach Joe Curl said. "All week we talked about this being a separation week. We viewed this weekend's games as an opportunity to separate ourselves from the rest of the pack.
"We have a lot of confidence heading into the game against UTEP on Saturday. That's another big game for us, and we're really hoping we can get a big crowd out here because we'll need it."
Trailing by five at 39-34 with 13.54 to play in the game, the Cougars erupted for a 15-0 run to open a 10 point lead, 49-39. Houston's defense held the Green Wave scoreless for more than seven minutes before they could stop the bleeding with a jumper at the 6:38 mark, allowing UH to take control.
Taylor and Hill paced the run with four points apiece during the stretch.
Both teams battled through the opening minutes of the first half with each side struggling to take the upper hand. After exchanging baskets to an 8-8 tie, the Green Wave pieced together a 9-2 run to open up a 17-10 lead.
The Cougars countered with a quick 6-0 burst to cut the deficit to one but the team's eight first-half turnovers halted any chance for an extended run. While searching for a rhythm on the offensive end of the floor, Houston's defense kept them within striking distance, holding the Green Wave to just 6-of-21 (.286) from the floor in the opening period.
Sophomore Brittney Scott jumper beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper to send Houston into the locker room trailing by four, 29-25. Button and Landry helped keep the Cougars in the game, combining for 13 of the team's first-half points on 6-of-9 (.667) shooting.
Up Next
Houston returns to the hardwood at noon on Saturday, when the Cougars take on conference-rival UTEP at Hofheinz Pavilion. Saturday's game will be broadcast in front of a national television audience on CBS College Sports.
The Cougars also are hosting "Pack the Pavilion" on Saturday. All fans will be admitted to the contest for only $1 and are encouraged to wear pink to support the fight against breast cancer.
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