University of Houston Athletics
Houston Closes Non-Conference Slate at Athletes in Action Tournament
12/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Houston (3-5 • 0-0 American) vs. UTSA (4-3 • 0-0 C-USA) - Friday Nicholls State (3-4 • 0-0 Southland) - Saturday Texas Tech (6-2 • 0-0 Big 12) - Sunday | |
|---|---|
| Home Game Tickets | BUY Tickets • Tickets Info |
| Tournament Central | TexasTech.com |
| Time | Fri. - 3 pm | Sat. - 12 pm | Sun. - 2 pm |
| Location | United Supermarkets Arena (15,098) • Lubbock |
| Video | TexasTech.TV (Sunday only) |
| Radio | UHCougars.com Jeremy Branham, PxP |
| Live Stats | TexasTech.com |
| Series History | • Houston leads UTSA, 18-1 • Houston leads Nicholls, 1-0 • Texas Tech leads Houston, 36-14 |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • UTSA Notes • Nicholls Notes • Texas Tech Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |   |
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
HOUSTON - The final weekend of non-conference play has arrived for the University of Houston women's basketball team, as they will take part in the Athletes in Action Tournament from December 19-21 in Lubbock, Texas. The Cougars will face UTSA on Friday at 3 pm CT, square off with Nicholls State on Saturday at noon CT, and finish the weekend against host Texas Tech on Sunday at 2 pm CT.
Live video coverage of Sunday's game is available through TexasTech.TV for a small fee. Video coverage will not be provided for Houston's Friday and Saturday games. | Direct Video Link
A free live audio broadcast is available for all three contests through Houston's Stretch Internet Portal, with Jeremy Branham on the play-by-play call. Live Twitter updates can be accessed throughout the game by following the official UH women's basketball account, @UHCougarWBB.
The Cougars enter the weekend with a 3-5 record after falling in their last game, 94-55, to No. 4/5 Texas A&M.
UTSA sports a 4-3 record at the start of the event, while Nicholls is 3-4 and Texas Tech is 6-2.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, December 19
UTSA vs. Houston - 3 pm
Nicholls vs. Texas Tech - 5:30 pm
Saturday, December 20
Nicholls vs. Houston - 12 pm
UTSA vs. Texas Tech - 2 pm
Sunday, December 21
UTSA vs. Nicholls - 11 am
Houston vs. Texas Tech - 2 pm
 | LAST TIME OUT |
DECEMBER 13 - No. 4/5 Texas A&M 94, Houston 55 | Final Stats Houston put forth an effort to be proud of but fell to one of the nation's top five clubs, 94-55, on December 13 in College Station. Marche' Amerson led the Cougars with 10 points, and Tyler Gilbert snagged a team-high seven rebounds.
The Cougars were especially strong in the opening quarter of the game. An Amerson three-pointer with 11:43 on the clock in the first half gave the Cougars a 13-12 lead. The Aggies retook control on their next possession, but Houston continued to make the home team battle for the duration of the contest.
The Cougars shot the ball well, especially from distance and at the charity stripe. They ended the game 7-for-18 (38.9%) from three-point range, and they also hit 12-of-14 (85.7%) from the free throw line, a season high.
Jessieka Palmer and Bianca Winslow added nine points each, with Winslow reaching a season high. Palmer matched her career best with four assists.
| HOUSTON IN THE AMERICAN RANKINGS |
The Cougars continue to make noise in the American Athletic Conference as the league barrels forward to conference play. As a team, the Cougars are ranked 5th in The American with 3.9 blocked shots per game.
Gilbert continues to exert her dominance in the paint, including a two-block effort in the Texas A&M game. The junior now ranks 4th in The American and 51st nationally with 2.1 bpg. She has tallied at least one swat in all eight games this season
Palmer leads the Cougars with 12.5 ppg, a mark that ranks 15th in The American. Amerson is 2nd on the team and 28th in the league with 9.6 ppg.
Both Palmer and Amerson are having great seasons shooting from long range. Palmer checks in 11th in The American with a 40.9% three-point field goal percentage, and Amerson is 13th at 39.1%.
Junior Alecia Smith ranks in the league's top-15 in a host of categories. She is listed 6th in steals (2.0 per game), 7th in assists (3.4), 8th in three-point field goals (1.9) and 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0).
| SERIES HISTORY vs. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS |
Houston is 18-1 all-time against Friday's opponent, UTSA. The Cougars won 17 straight meetings with the Roadrunners from 1981-2010 and they won the most recent meeting, 55-42, on November 27, 2012. Among current Cougars, Amerson led the way with six points. UTSA shot just 27.9% in the game. | Final Stats The Cougars won their only prior meeting with Nicholls, 83-62, on February 7, 1980 at Hofheinz Pavilion. Cheryl Gardley scored 18 points to lead all players, while the UH defense forced Nicholls into 33 turnovers.
Texas Tech has a 36-14 all-time edge over the Cougars and has won three straight in the series. The Red Raiders took the last meeting, 86-56, on December 30, 2012. | Final Stats Houston does have a history of upset victories in Lubbock, including a 66-63 win over a previously 9-0 Texas Tech team on December 4, 2007. | Final Stats
| SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS |
UTSA enters Friday's game with a 4-3 record. They had a two-game winning streak snapped by Texas State, 57-53, in their last game on December 4. | Final Stats
Kamra King and Ashley Spaletta led UTSA with 13 points each in the Texas State game. King is the only Roadrunner in double-figures for the season, with 13.3 ppg.
Mannasha Bell leads UTSA with 7.0 rpg, and Tesha Smith came on with 11 points and 12 boards in the Texas State game.
| SCOUTING THE COLONELS |
Nicholls fell to Louisiana Tech on Monday night, 80-62, to drop their record to 3-4. | Final Stats
Emani White leads the Colonels with 15.3 ppg, including a 37-point explosion earlier this season vs. SUNO, but she has not played in the team's last three games. Ekiya Gray paced Nicholls with a career-best 14 points in their loss to Louisiana Tech, while Jenny Nash added 12 points and averages 12.6 ppg.
| SCOUTING THE RED RAIDERS |
Texas Tech holds a 6-2 record and enters the tournament on a two-game winning streak after knocking off UTPA, 50-42 on December 14. | Final Stats
The Red Raiders average just 59.5 ppg as a team but still have four players who put up double-figures individually. Amber Battle leads the way with 13.5 ppg, while Kelsi Baker chips in 11.0 ppg, Minta Spears is at 10.5 ppg and Dayo Olabode averages right at 10.0 ppg.
Battle's 8.5 rpg leads the way, while Olabode collects 7.0 rpg.
| THE SHOT FOR THE AGES |
DECEMBER 3, 2014 vs. RICE | Video
Houston earned their most exciting victory of the season on December 3 when Alexia Sanders hit a three-point buzzer-beater in a 59-58 victory over Rice.
Houston was down two points and had the length of the court to go with :5.5 on the clock. Smith took the inbounds pass and dribbled down the middle of the court. After crossing the center stripe, she passed to Sanders on the right wing, and Sanders connected on a 22-footer as time expired to seal the victory.
"I was just trying to do whatever I could to help my team win," said Sanders. "(Alecia) had the drive, but she kicked it to me and I just shot it. It went in and the refs said (it was) good."
"We wanted (Alecia) to be able to shovel it out to (Alexia) and her to be able to get a mid-range pull up," Houston head coach Ronald Hughey said of the final play. "Well, the unexpected thing was (Alexia) shooting the three. I'm just super excited that she had enough confidence to take it."
The three-pointer was just the third of the season for Sanders and the fifth of her collegiate career.
| QUICK HITS |
- Houston is 2-1 in road games and 2-3 away from Hofheinz Pavilion this season.
- The Cougars have not played on three straight days since December 18-20, 2010, when they went 2-1 at the Duel in the Desert in Las Vegas. The Cougars opened with a 79-70 win over No. 21 Nebraska, followed that with a 92-80 victory over Louisville, and fell in their last game, 78-70, to Marist
- The Cougars are 2-0 against Conference USA members this season and are going for a third win when they face UTSA.
- Both Palmer and Gilbert are already near or ahead of previous career highs. Palmer has scored exactly 100 points through eight games, just 36 shy of her 31-game total from last season. Gilbert has 62 points in eight games, just 10 short of her best season to date, and her 17 blocks is already a new personal best.
- Moesha Kinard set a career high with six points in the Texas A&M game.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
With non-conference play in the rearview mirror after this weekend's tournament, Houston will focus on their American Athletic Conference opener, set for Saturday, December 27 vs. UCF. Tipoff at Hofheinz Pavilion is scheduled for 2 pm CT. | TICKETS The UCF game will be broadcast live on the American Digital Network and will double as Shasta's Kids Day for fans who join the Cougars at Hofheinz Pavilion. All kids ages 13 & under will receive a free pom pom, schedule poster and autograph card and will be invited to the concourse for an autograph session after the game.
The day gets even better for Shasta's Kids Club members, who will receive a free drawstring backpack and will be invited on to the Hofheinz court to form a tunnel and welcome the Cougars back to the floor at the start of the second half. | Shasta's Kids Day Information
| STAY CONNECTED |
Fans can receive daily information and in-game updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter. Fans can also catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at facebook.com/UHCougarWBB
| BUY SEASON TICKETS |
Fans can purchase season tickets for the 2014-15 women's basketball season by clicking here and visiting the official Athletics Ticket Office Page at UHCougars.com. Season tickets start at just $99.
To purchase tickets in person, fans can visit the Athletics Ticket Stadium Office located on the northeast corner of TDECU Stadium, just outside of Gate 1 off Cullen Boulevard. Parking is available in the TDECU Stadium parking garage with the first 30 minutes free of charge. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m., to 5:30 p.m.
Under Hughey's leadership, the Cougars will play 11 contests against teams who qualified for NCAA postseason play a year ago with eight of those against American Athletic Conference rivals.
All UH main campus students are admitted FREE to regular season women's basketball home games with a valid student ID.
--UHCougars.com--
