University of Houston
0-34-10. AAC
Memphis
8-6, 2-1AAC
Houston Drops Road Matchup at Memphis
1/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball dropped a 74-57 decision to the Memphis Tigers, on Tuesday, on the road in Memphis, Tenn. Junior Kierra Graves scored 11 points to lead the Cougars, while senior Marche' Amerson added 10 points of her own.
"We've been over it over-and-over again about being sure with our passes," Head Coach Ronald Hughey said. "But, we started out the game again with three turnovers and never really got involved. We started out unsure tonight after having a couple of good practices. I'm just not sure what it is when we step on the court, but we're going to have to find out what it is and fix it. We have to get better energy, better focus, and we just have to play hard all the time. If we take care of playing hard, that will take care of the other stuff."
Memphis started hot and grabbed a 6-0 lead just over a minute into the game. Memphis would build its lead to 13 at the end of the first quarter taking a 23-10 lead into the second frame. The Cougars finally settled in after the first quarter and were able to work their way back into the game from the free-throw line. Houston shot 10-15 from the charity stripe in the first half, and 19-28 overall.
THE BASICS
Score: Memphis 74, Houston 57
Records: Houston 4-10 (0-3), Memphis 8-6 (2-1)
Date: Tuesday, January 5, 2015
Location: Memphis, Tenn. (Elma Roane Fieldhouse)
TURNING POINT
Houston struggled to keep the Tigers out of the lane, and forward Brianna Wright took advantage of that for Memphis. Wright scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and helped contribute in a big way to the Tigers 46 points in the paint.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Junior guard Kierra Graves led Houston in scoring with 11. Graves' double-digit scoring night is her second consecutive game in double figures and fourth of the season. Senior Marche' Amerson also scored in double figures. Amerson's 10 points bring her to 967 for her career and moving her just 33 points away from becoming the Cougars' 23rd 1,000 point scorer.
Memphis: Wright and Ariel Hearn dominated the game for the Tigers, scoring a combined 38 of Memphis' 74 points. Wright collected five boards to go along with 18 points, while Hearn scored 20 on 9-of-10 shooting from the field.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Houston entered play Tuesday night outrebounding opponents by 1.1 boards per game. The Cougars dominated Memphis on the glass, beating the Tigers 40-29.
- 22 of Houston's 40 rebounds came on the offensive glass which contributed to nine second-chance points.
- The Cougars forced Memphis to turn the ball over 20 times in the contest. Those mistakes by the Tigers led to 24 points off turnovers for Houston.
NEWS & NOTES
- The 20 turnovers forced by the Cougars is the most for Houston since opening American Athletic Conference play on Dec. 30.
- After scoring 10 points, senior Marche' Amerson is now just 33 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 return home for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season, when they meet the defending National Champions, No. 1/1 UConn. The showdown with the Huskies is scheduled to tip at 8 p.m., on Friday, Jan 8, at Hofheinz Pavillion. The game will air live on ESPN2 with Pam Ward and Debbie Antonelli on the call.
The first 500 fans through the gates at Hofheinz Pavilion on Friday night will receive a voucher for a University of Houston Pint Glass.
$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.
