University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
1-3
George Washington
5-1
Furious Cougar Rally Falls Short in 82-78 Loss
11/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
AUSTIN, Texas - The University of Houston Women's Basketball team made life difficult for No. 24/23 George Washington for a full 40 minutes, but in the end the Colonials earned a victory, 82-78, Thanksgiving Day at the Cedar Park Center. The game was Houston's first effort at the 2015 Lone Star Showcase.
Down by 26 points in the fourth quarter, Houston did not lose focus or stop battling. The Cougars whittled their deficit down to a final margin of four points before absorbing the loss.
"Our team never stopped fighting today, even when down big in the fourth quarter, and because of that attitude, we very nearly came back and won the game," Houston head coach Ronald Hughey said. "That mentality is something our coaching staff has worked tirelessly to instill in our players, so it's rewarding to see our team take that message to heart and leave it all on the court today."
Despite the loss, there was plenty for the Cougars to be thankful for. Jessieka Palmer scored a career-high 25 points, and as a team Houston was red-hot from downtown, hitting 11-of-20 (55.0 percent) of their 3-point attempts. The 78-point effort was the most scored by a Houston team in the Hughey era.
 | THE BASICS |
Score: No. 24/23 George Washington 82, Houston 78
Records: Houston 1-3, George Washington 4-1
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2015
Tournament: Lone Star Showcase
Location: Austin, Texas (Cedar Park Center)
| TURNING POINT |
The Coogs trailed by just four points at halftime, 37-33, and they scored the opening two points of the third quarter to cut the deficit in half. But the Colonials switched to a full court press and used it to score the next eight points, establishing their first double-digit lead. Jonquel Jones scored a deuce with 8:30 left in the period to make the score 45-35, and George Washington led the remainder of the afternoon.
| TOP PERFORMERS |
Houston: Palmer was 6-for-7 from downtown on the way to her 25-point day, which included a half-court heave at the end of the game. She added five rebounds, three assists and two steals,
Alecia Smith was 3-for-4 from 3-point range and scored 17 points, a season high, along with five assists. Serithia Hawkins paced the Cougars with six rebounds, and Tyler Gilbert blocked two shots.
George Washington: Two Colonials finished the game with double-doubles; Caira Washington recorded 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Jones, a Wooden Award Watch List member, posted 20 points and 13 rebounds.
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
- The Cougars fell behind, 74-48, on a George Washington 3-pointer with 5:15 left in the game. But Hughey's crew did not quit fighting, and they outscored the Colonials, 30-8, over the final five minutes of the game.
- Houston trailed, 80-75, with 11.2 seconds left. They forced a turnover with a Jessieka Palmer steal on a GW inbounds pass but could not convert, and the Colonials held UH off.
- As a team, the Cougars shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63) overall and 56.5 percent (13-for-23) from the free throw line.
- George Washington shot 47.0 percent (31-for-66) from the field but hit just 3-of-12 (25.0 percent) from 3-point range. The Colonials were 17-for-28 (60.7 percent) from the charity stripe.
- GW won the rebounding battle, 51-28, including 18 offensive boards. That led to 18 second-chance points for the Colonials.
- Three Cougars finished with three steals each: Hawkins, Marche' Amerson and Kierra Graves.
- Graves finished with nine points, while Hawkins and Mariah Mitchell scored eight each.
- Houston turned the ball over only 16 times, a season low.
- On the flip side, Hughey's team forced GW into 22 turnovers and converted those into 27 points off turnovers.
- The Colonials won the first quarter, 22-18, before the teams tied, 15-all, in the second. The third quarter went to GW, 24-12, but Houston took the fourth, 33-21.
- GW led at the half, 37-33. Smith drained all three of her 3-point field goal attempts in the opening period and led Houston with 11 points at the break.
| NEWS & NOTES |
- Palmer's 25-point explosion is the most by a Houston player since March 3, 2013, when Porsche Landry scored 28 in a 69-59 victory over Rice.
- Two Cougars recorded their first career points Thursday. Sharayla Brown scored four points, as did Cenecia Newman.
- Smith became the fifth Cougar to hit 120 career 3-point field goals in her career Thursday.
- Gilbert's multi-block game is her third of the season and the 26th of her career.
- The senior now has 90 career blocked shots, ninth in Cougar history and three behind Lesslee Mason (2009-11).
- With the loss, Houston is without a win over ranked opposition since Dec. 18, 2010, a 78-70 triumph over No. 21 Nebraska.
- The meeting was the first in history between Houston and George Washington.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
The Cougars continue the Lone Star Showcase Friday at 11 a.m., when they face Wright State. Fans can follow live stats and live video from the Cedar Park Center as both teams look for their first win at the tournament.
Earlier Thursday, Wright State fell to No. 25/21 Iowa, 83-77. The Cougars will finish the Lone Star Showcase against the Hawkeyes Saturday at 11 a.m.
Houston returns to Hofheinz Pavilion Dec. 12, when they take on UNLV. Tickets are available at UHCougars.com/tickets as the Cougars and Runnin' Rebels share the court for the first time since Dec. 22, 1994, a 77-64 Houston victory.
| $50 SHASTA PASS NOW AVAILABLE |
The Houston Fan Experience Headquarters is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2015-16 athletic season. For only $50, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial savings as single-game tickets start at $8 for all four sports. Fans can save $126 alone during the Houston fall sports seasons. To purchase a Shasta Pass, CLICK HERE.
| 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.
--UHCougars.com--
