University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
6-9, 1-3
Cincinnati
4-11, 1-3
Cougars Lose Double OT Heartbreaker to Cincinnati, 76-73
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team lost a hard-fought double overtime battle with Cincinnati, 76-73, on Wednesday night at Hofheinz Pavilion. The Cougars are now 6-9, 1-3 in American Athletic Conference play.
"(Tonight's loss) is really tough, because you expect to win games when you go into overtime at home," said Houston head coach Ronald Hughey. "The ball game was (about) rebounding the basketball and we got out-rebounded, 55-39."
Jessieka Palmer led Houston with 19 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, while Tyler Gilbert scored 14 points and blocked a personal-high six shots. Both players fouled out of the game in the first overtime period, however, leaving Houston shorthanded for the second extra session.
 | THE BASICS |
Score: Cincinnati 76, Houston 73 • 2OT
Records: Houston 6-9 (1-3 American), Cincinnati 4-11 (1-3 American)
Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Location: Houston, Texas (Hofheinz Pavilion)
| TURNING POINT |
Houston scored the first five points of the first overtime period but could not hold the lead, and the game went to another overtime. The Bearcats scored the first point of the second extra frame on a Bianca Quisenberry free throw with 3:53 on the clock, and they led the rest of the game.
| TOP PERFORMERS |
Houston: Palmer's double-double is her second in as many games, while Gilbert doubled her previous top shot-blocking performance. Moesha Kinard also had a career night, going 4-for-4 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line to score 13 points.
Cincinnati: Marley Hill led all players with 28 points, and she added 13 rebounds. Jasmine Whitfield played all 50 minutes of the game and scored 24 points
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
- Cincinnati shot 40.9 percent (27-for-66) for the game, and Houston finished at 37.5 percent (27-for-72).
- The Bearcats won the rebounding battle, 55-39, though the Houston defense stiffened up and only allowed eight second chance points on Cincinnati's 16 offensive boards.
- Both squads did the majority of their damage around the basket. Cincinnati finished with 40 points in the paint and Houston had 38.
- Both offenses scored five points in the first overtime, and Cincinnati won the second extra session, 7-4.
- The Bearcats shot 33.3 percent (4-for-12) in overtime, with Houston shooting 21.4 percent (3-for-14).
- The Cougars set a season high in points (73) and matched their high in field goals (27).
- Houston led at the half, 36-32, after shooting 51.6 percent (16-for-31) in the first period. Gilbert and Palmer led the Cougars with eight points each in the first.
| NEWS & NOTES |
- Gilbert recorded her fourth block, setting a new career high, with 5:30 left in the first half.
- Alecia Smith led Houston in assists for the 11th straight game and matched a career high with seven helpers.
- Demetria Foreman made her season debut on Wednesday night. She scored her first basket of the season at the 11:24 mark of the first half and finished with six points.
- Mariah Mitchell set a career high with four steals.
- Palmer is now averaging 10.3 points per game, tops on the Houston club.
- The game was Houston's first overtime contest since a 71-70 double overtime win over Tulane on Feb. 17, 2013.
- Cincinnati holds the lead in the series, 11-5, though Houston has still won four of the last six meetings.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
The Cougars finish their home swing on Saturday afternoon, when they host East Carolina in another American Athletic Conference matchup. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 pm CT at Hofheinz Pavilion. | TICKETS
Saturday's game is Salute to Service Day at Hofheinz. Members of the military, veterans and first responders will receive admission for just $5, and the Cougars will hand out American flags and rally towels to the first 200 fans in attendance.
| 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--
