University of Houston
4-6
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
3-5
Third Quarter Surge Lifts Houston over Islanders, 76-73
12/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A huge third quarter run led the University of Houston Women's Basketball team to a 76-73 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Thursday night at the Dugan Wellness Center. The win is Houston's third consecutive victory in road games.
"Mentally, we didn't always stick to the game plan tonight, but what we did do well was play exceptionally hard," Houston head coach Ronald Hughey said. "When you compete as hard as we did tonight, it can make up for lots of issues. I'm proud of the heart and desire our team showed and look forward to carrying that mentality into Sunday's game against UTRGV."
Houston trailed at the half, 31-29, but used pressure defense and pinpoint shooting to blitz the Islanders in the third quarter and build a comfortable working margin. The Coogs outscored the home team in the third, 28-14, by knocking down 10-of-15 shots in the period.
 | THE BASICS |
Score: Houston 76, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 73
Records: Houston 4-6, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 3-5
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2015
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas (Dugan Wellness Center)
| TURNING POINT |
Up 43-40 midway through the third quarter, the Cougars launched a 10-2 run that put some breathing room between them and the Islanders. Kierra Graves hit a pair of free throws at the 1:07 mark of the period to give Houston their first double-digit lead, 53-42, and they never trailed again.
| TOP PERFORMERS |
Houston: Marche' Amerson drained four 3-pointers and led the Cougars with a season-high 18 points, while Tyler Gilbert scored a season-best 13 and Jacqueline Blake added 10. Blake grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and Serithia Hawkins led the way with four assists.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Brittany Mbamalu was 6-for-9 from 3-point range and led all players with 24 points. Shola Adebayo added 13 points and seven rebounds
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
- For the game, Houston shot a season-high 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the field, which is also a Hughey era high.
- The Cougars were 7-for-13 (53.8 percent) from 3-point land and 15-for-25 (60.0 percent) from the free throw line.
- The Islanders shot 47.2 percent (25-for-53) overall, 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from 3-point range and 62.5 percent (15-for-24) from the stripe.
- The Cougars finished with seven blocked shots as a team. Gilbert and Sharayla Brown finished with two each.
- Alecia Smith added three assists and a team-high three steals.
- Jessieka Palmer scored nine points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
- The Cougars forced A&M-Corpus Christi into 23 turnovers, which they converted into 22 points.
- The teams were tied after one quarter, 13-all, before the Islanders won the second, 18-16. Houston dominated the third, 28-14, before the home side drew closer with a 28-19 edge in the final period.
- Palmer hit a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer to make the score 31-29, Islanders, at the break. Blake led the Coogs with six points at the break.
| NEWS & NOTES |
- Redshirt sophomore Chyanne Butler made her Houston debut Thursday, scoring four points.
- Gilbert now has 99 career blocked shots and will become the sixth Cougar in history to reject 100 shots with her next block.
- Thursday was more than just a successful day on the court for Houston, as Smith graduated with a B.S. in kinesiology before taking the court. The Cedar Hill, Texas, native received her degree from UH in just three-and-a-half years.
- The Cougars have now won three straight road games for the first time since 2011.
- Houston's 76-point effort is the second-highest output of the Hughey era, trailing only the 78 points scored against George Washington on Thanksgiving Day.
- The Coogs are now 7-1 all-time against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
- Hughey is 2-0 as a head coach against the Islanders and 4-1 against teams from the Southland Conference.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
The Coogs return to Hofheinz Pavilion Sunday, Dec. 20 to host UTRGV in the team's non-conference finale. Tickets are available at UHCougars.com/tickets as Houston aims for their fourth victory in as many tries against the school formerly known as UT-Pan American. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
| $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 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--
