University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
1-0
Southeastern Louisiana
0-1
Cougars Win Opener in 83-80 Thriller
11/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team opened the 2016-17 regular season in thrilling fashion with an 83-80 win over Southeastern Louisiana inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Sunday.
The game opened as a back-and-forth affair with each team trading baskets for the majority of the first quarter. After a pair of free throws from senior Jacqueline Blake with 4:11 remaining in the period, the Cougars went on an 11-0 run to take the lead 22-13. Houston held the Lions without a field goal for the final 5:53 of the quarter to take a 27-17 lead at the break.
The momentum shifted in the second quarter, as Southeastern Louisiana found themselves on a run of their own. Sparked by 14 first half points by Taylin Underwood, the Lions outscored the Cougars 24-10 in the second and took a 41-37 lead into the half.
It was Harris who ignited the Cougar comeback midway through the third quarter when she buried a 3-pointer from the corner and was fouled after the play to give Houston the ball back. On the ensuing passion, Harris drained another shot from deep. The Cougars picked up a stop on the defensive end and for a third consecutive possession, Harris hit a three to give Houston a 55-50 lead.
THE BASICS
Score: Houston 83, Southeastern Louisiana 80
Date: Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016
Location: Houston, Texas (Hofheinz Pavilion)
TURNING POINT
With the game tight in the fourth quarter, the Lions were able to hang around, but it was a 7-0 run by the Cougars that put the game out of reach. With the Cougars down 72-71, Chyanne Butler drained a jumper and Jasmyne Harris hit a pair of free throws to give the Coogs the lead for good at 75-72. For good measure, Harris made another 3-pointer on the next possession to bring the score to 78-72.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Freshman guard Angela Harris led the Cougars with 22 points while adding five assists and a rebound. She finished 7-of-11 from the field including a 4-for-7 mark from beyond the arc. Senior Jacqueline Blake added a career-best 15 points, while Butler had 13 of her own. Sophomore Serithia Hawkins collected 11 rebounds for her seventh career double-digit rebounding game.
Southeastern Louisiana: The Lions picked up 31 points from Taylin Underwood who led all scorers on 9-of-21 shooting. Tyler Morrison and Ashailee Brailey also scored double figures for Southeastern with 14 and 11, respectively.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Houston outscored the Lions in the paint, 32-28.
- The Cougars forced Southeastern Louisiana to commit 21 turnovers which led to 31 points.
- Houston received tremendous production from their bench, outscoring the Lions 48-13 including 22 and 15 from Angela Harris and Jacqueline Blake, respectively.
- The Cougars scored at least 80 points for the first time since Jan. 24, 2013, in an 81-70 win over Southern Miss.
- Angela Harris became the first Cougar freshman to score at least 20 points in a game since Marche' Amerson and Alecia Smith accomplished the feat during the 2012-13 season.
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
The Cougars will leave the friendly confines of Hofheinz Pavilion for their first road trip of the 2016-17 season. The West Coast swing begins Tuesday, Nov. 15 when the Cougars meet UNLV in Las Vegas, before heading to Long Beach, Calif., to meet Long Beach State on Friday, Nov. 18.
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.
