University of Houston
4-13,0-6AAC
East Carolina
8-9,2-3AAC
Cougars Fall Short in Comeback Bid at ECU
1/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. â€" Despite trailing by 14 points after the first quarter, the Houston Cougar women's basketball team roared all the way back to tie the game in the second half, before eventually falling to East Carolina 76-70 on Thursday night, in Greenville, N.C.
"We had a good game plan and we executed," Head Coach Ronald Hughey said. "They came out early and attacked us and pushed us on our heels a little bit. Once we saw we could play with them we started to play. We dug ourselves in a hole in the first quarter. You come out of that first quarter down 26-12, but we basically won every quarter after that: even coming back and tying it up. Rebounding continues to be something that is coming back to be our Achilles Heel. Even though we only got outrebounded by three, we gave up too many second chance points. We turned the ball over less than we have, but we're still above our goal. If we take care of that, then we have extra possessions. We only had 52 offensive possessions and they had 72."
After a slow start for both teams, Houston led 4-1 midway through the first quarter. However, the Pirates would go on a 25-8 run to close out the half and take a 14-point lead into the first break. Fueled by sophomore guard Chyanne Butler, the Cougars came out firing in the second quarter and were able to cut the lead to nine at the half at 39-30. Butler finished the contest with 12 points and four rebounds, marking her second straight double-digit performance.
THE BASICS
Score: East Carolina 76, Houston 70
Records: Houston 4-13 (0-6), East Carolina 8-9 (2-3)
Date: Friday, January 14, 2016
Location: Greenville, N.C. (Minges Coliseum)
TURNING POINT
After shooting 44.1 percent in the first half, the Cougars held the Pirates to just 14-of-38 (36.8 percent) in the third and fourth quarters. Houston used lockdown defense to open the second half on a 14-5 run and crawl all the way back to tie the score at 44 apiece.
However the Pirates would answer with a 17-7 run of their own to head into the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead at 61-51. Houston battled in the fourth quarter and was able to pull within four late in the contest, but ECU sensation Jada Payne sank two free throws with nine seconds remaining to seal the win. Payne finished the contest with a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Junior forward Jaqueline Blake had a standout performance for the Cougars, falling just shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. Blake's 11 points match a career-high for the transfer from Miami Dade Community College. Sophomore Chyanne Butler led Houston in scoring with 12 points for her second straight double-digit scoring night, while Marche' Amerson inched closer to 1,000 career points with an 11-point performance tonight.
East Carolina: The Pirates got major contributions from their big-three as seniors Jada Payne, DeVaughn Gray and I'Tiana Taylor scored a combined 63 of ECU's 76 points. Payne led all scorers with 24 points and completed a double-double with 10 boards, while Taylor tallied a game-high 16 rebounds to go along with 21 points. Gray added 17 points and four assists for East Carolina. The trio ended the game shooting 34-of-50 from the field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Junior transfer Jacqueline Blake just missed a double-double as she matched a career-best with 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
- Houston got an enormous contribution from their depth as the Cougars outscored East Carolina 32-8 in bench points.
- The Cougars shot 79.3 percent (23-29) from the free throw line including hitting on 20 of their last 22 attempts. Houston entered the game shooting just 66.4 percent from the charity stripe.
NEWS & NOTES
- The 23 made free throws for the Cougars is a new season-best surpassing the previous high of 19 against Memphis on Jan. 5.
- The game was a complete team-effort for Houston as all nine Cougars who saw the court scored points, while eight different two or more rebounds.
- After scoring 11 points, senior Marche' Amerson is now just 12 points shy of 1,000 for her career. When she reaches the 1,000 point plateau, Amerson will become the 23rd Cougar in history to reach that milestone.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
The Cougars get a much needed break after playing four games in the last nine days, and will not play again until Wednesday, Jan. 20. When Houston returns to action they will be back home to face Tulsa at Hofheinz Pavilion, with tipoff set for 7 p.m.
$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
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