University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
-89; 22 CUSA
Marshall
-116; 32 CUSA
Women's Basketball Falls to Marshall, 66-61
1/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2010
HOUSTON - It was a tale of two halves on Sunday at Hofheinz Pavilion as the University of Houston women's basketball team was able to build a big lead in the first half only to watch it slip away after halftime in a disappointing 66-61 loss to Marshall.
The setback drops the Cougars' overall record to 8-9 this season with a 2-2 mark in Conference USA play. Marshall, meanwhile, improved to 11-6 overall and 3-2 in league action.
Junior forward Courtney Taylor tallied her 32nd career double-double with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebound for the Cougars, pulling her to within three double-doubles of the all-time school record. The Crocket, Texas, native also raised her career point total to 986 in her quest to become the program's 19th member of the 1,000 point club.
Three other UH players finished in double figure scoring as junior guard Brittney Scott led the way with 16 points, while sophomore Porsche Landry chipped in with 15 and junior forward Lesslee Mason added 14.
Unlike their last time out during which they fell behind East Carolina early and were never able to recover, it was the Cougars that took control of the contest early Sunday.
Freshman Roxana Button accounted for the game's initial points with a jumper on Houston's opening possession. The Thundering Herd sparred back at the Cougars, leaving the home team with just a one-point advantage, 6-5, with 16:00 remaining in the half. After the opening tight moments of the contest it was the Cougars who surged ahead. Houston used an 11-2 run to take control of the tempo of the contest and open a 10-point lead, 17-7, on a free throw by Landry at the 11:31 mark.
Landry gave the home lead its high-water mark of the first half as she took a kick-out from Taylor and drained a 3-pointer on the first half's final possession, sending the teams to the locker room with Houston leading 42-23.
After Houston obtained its biggest lead of the afternoon in the opening minute of the second half at 45-23, the game took on a different turn as the Cougars could not regain the shooting touch that had allowed them to build the sizable first period advantage. Houston made only four of its first 22 shot attempts in the second period, allowing Marshall to slice the UH lead to shreds.
The Marshall comeback was completed when tied the game at 57-57 on a rebound and put back by Mystee Dale before taking its first lead since the game's opening minute at 59-57 on a long jumper at the Alaya Mitchell.
Lesslee Mason used a nice post move in the lane to tie the game at 59-59 with 1:29 remaining as the Cougar tried desperately to regain control of the scoreboard.
A short jumper by Taylor again left the game knotted, this time at at 61-61 with 42 ticks left on the clock, but the Thundering Herd scored the game's final five points to seal the Cougar's fate.
The Cougars are back in action next Sunday when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face off against UAB in a C-USA contest that will be nationally televised on CBS College Sports.
