University of Houston
5-5
UL-Lafayette
4-3
Cougars Win Thriller in Louisiana
12/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAFAYETTE, La. â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team opened a three-game trip away from Hofheinz Pavilion with a thrilling 69-64 win over Louisiana on Wednesday. Freshman guard Jasmyne Harris led the Cougars with 23 points and eight rebounds.
"We came out a little flat and lethargic, but you have to be focused the entire game," Head Coach Ronald Hughey said. "They battled. We kept going at them, and they kept coming at us. They threw the first punch, and I'm glad we responded."
The contest opened with both teams shooting lights out from the field, with the Cougars finishing the first 10 minutes at 50.0 percent (8-of-16), while Louisiana shot 47.1 percent (8-of-17). After starting guard Chyanne Butler found herself in early foul trouble, it was Harris who stepped up late to keep Houston in the game, scoring the final five points of the quarter to make the contest 19-18 in favor of Louisiana.
The hot shooting continued for both Harris and the Cougars into the second quarter, and the Cougars grabbed the lead at 33-28 heading to the break. Harris shot 5-of-6 from the field throughout the first 20 minutes including a 3-of-4 mark from beyond the 3-point line.
Senior Kierra Graves took over for the Cougars in the third quarter and helped extend the lead to eight heading to the final period. The Chicago, Ill., native scored eight of her 10 points in the third including a jumper at the buzzer that gave Houston a 50-42 lead heading to the fourth.
The Cougars were able to extend the lead to as much as 11 with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, but the Ragin' Cajuns would come roaring back. Three times in the final 2:50, Louisiana was able to cut the lead to two, but were never able to tie the game. Thanks in large part to Harris' 10 fourth quarter points and Houston's 7-of-8 mark from the free throw line in the final 25 seconds, the Cougars held off the charge.
THE BASICS
Score: Houston 69, Louisiana 64
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016
Location: Lafayette, La. (Cajundome)
TURNING POINT
With just 2:50 remaining in the game, the Ragin' Cajuns cut the lead to two at 60-58. However, junior Brianne Coffman and Harris combined for nine points (five and four respectively) over the remainder of the contest, to keep the score out of reach.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Harris finished the contest with 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 5-of-9 from deep. She also led the team on the glass with eight rebounds. Coffman and Graves also finished in double-figures with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Graves led the team in assists with five.
Louisiana: The Ragin' Cajuns had a pair of players reach double figures including Simone Fields' team-high 20. Fields also led the team in rebounds with a game-high eight. Jaylyn Gordon finished the game with 16 points, and Jasmine Thomas racked up seven assists.
NEWS AND NOTES
- For the ninth time in 10 games the Cougars picked up tremendous production from their bench, outscoring the Ragin' Cajuns 46-17.
- Houston dominated on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 48-26 and picking up 15 offensive boards. The team's 33 defensive rebounds is a high for the Cougars this season.
- The Cougars blocked a season-high five shots in the contest, including a career-high four from sophomore Sharayla Brown.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Houston swings around and travels west on I-10 to San Antonio, Texas, and the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament, where they will face the host school UTSA on Dec. 19 and Central Arkansas on Dec. 20.
PURCHASE A SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2016-17 athletic season. For just $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Softball home games. Fans can order a Shasta Pass by clicking .
FLOOR SEATS SEASON TICKET PACKAGE
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office also offers a Floor Seats season ticket package. For just $250, fans will have courtside access to all 14 Houston home games in 2016-17. Fans can purchase a season ticket package for Floor Seats by clicking HERE.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Single-game tickets for all 14 games inside Hofheinz Pavilion are on sale now via the Houston Athletics Ticket Office. Prices begin at just $5 for general admission seats and range up to $20 for floor seats. General admission group tickets are offered to parties of 10+ for $3 each. Single-game tickets can be purchased 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.
