PREVIEW: Women’s Basketball Opens Matthew Mitchell Era on Tuesday

Tuesday, November 4

Houston, Texas

6:30 p.m.

University of Houston

UT Arlington

Tickets

Houston Women's Basketball 2025-26 Team Photo

PREVIEW: Women’s Basketball Opens Matthew Mitchell Era on Tuesday

11/3/2025 5:28:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Houston Game Notes (PDF)UT Arlington Game Notes (PDF)Purchase Tickets Watch (ESPN+)Listen (The Varsity Network)Live Stats Matthew Mitchell Press Conference

Cougars host UT Arlington for season opener

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Women's Basketball program begins the Matthew Mitchell Era against UT Arlington at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday inside Fertitta Center.

Fans in attendance will receive 713-themed koozies, the 2025-26 schedule poster and the first trading card of the season while supplies last. Take advantage of the 7-1-3 deal which includes $7 tickets (online only using code: 713), $1 popcorn and $3 candy.

HOUSTON COUGARS vs UT ARLINGTON LADY MAVERICKS
Date \| Time	Tuesday, Nov. 4 \| 6:30 p.m.
Opponent	UT Arlington
Location	Fertitta Center \| Houston, Texas
Tickets	Season Tickets \| Single Game Tickets
Watch	ESPN+ \| Matt Pedersen (pxp), Austyn Iven (analyst), Chancellor Johnson (reporter)
Listen	The Varsity Network \| Jeremy Branham (pxp)
Live Stats	Houston.Statbroadcast.com
Game Notes	Houston \| UT Arlington

THE GAME

While most teams open the 2025-26 season on Monday, Houston will open its season on Tuesday vs. UT Arlington.
Houston and UT Arlington meet for the 15th time in program history with the Lady Mavs winning the last four.
This marks the third-straight season that the Cougars open the season at home and is 20-6 all-time in home openers.
Head Coach Matthew Mitchell returns to the coaching circuit following a five-year hiatus.
Coach Mitchell is 13-2 overall in season openers, winning 11-straight since 2009-10.

THE MATTHEW MITCHELL ERA

Head Coach Matthew Mitchell was named the eighth head coach in program history on March 27, 2025.
Mitchell brings a wealth of experience including 13 seasons at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to 10 20+ win seasons and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Cougars return three players from the 2024-25 roster: Kierra Merchant, Kateri Poole and Summer Bostock. Merchant is the only returning starter from the 2024-25 season while Poole is expected to make her debut after suffering an injury last season.
Houston welcomes three freshmen: Jemma Hunter, Jade Jones and Kayla King.
Mitchell also strengthened the roster by signing seven transfers during the offseason. The new additions include forwards Amirah Abdur-Rahim (Texas A&M), Amani Bartlett (LSU) and Jorynn Ross (Arizona), along with guards TK Pitts (SMU), Briana Peguero (Troy), Kyndall Hunter (Texas A&M) and Shun'teria Anumele (Saint Louis).

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE NOTES

Six home games highlight the 2025 non-conference home schedule.
The Cougars will open the season with a three game homestand against UT Arlington, UTSA and Rice.
Following a two game road swing at Stephen F. Austin and UTRGV, Houston hosts High Point for its first meeting in program history.
Over Thanksgiving break, the Cougars will head to Nassau, The Bahamas, to play in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship Goombay Division at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center.
Houston will play the First Round game against Arkansas State on Nov. 28, followed by a meeting with either Kent State or Tulsa on Nov. 30.
The Cougars return to Fertitta Center on Dec. 7 to face Southern for the first time since 1992.
Houston closes its non-conference road slate on Dec. 13 against New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Cougars conclude non-conference action at home on Dec. 16 against Montana for its annual Education Day game.

HOUSTON IS HOME

The 2025-26 roster includes six players and two coaches with ties to the greater Houston area.
Briana Peguero, Kierra Merchant, Kyndall Hunter and Shun'teria Anumele along with Associate Head Coach Damitria Buchanan and Assistant Coach Dominique Dillingham are all native Houstonians.
Amani Bartlett is from Cleveland, Texas, which is a city within the Greater Houston metropolitan area.
Jorynn Ross was born in Milwaukee, Wis., but was raised in Houston.

EYES ON 1,000 POINTS

After spending two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College and two at Mercer and Troy, Briana Peguero needs 272 points to reach 1,000 career points at the Division I level.

WELCOME BACK, KP

After missing last season due to an injury, Kateri Poole is expected to make her Cougar debut this season.
Poole joined the Cougars for the 2024-25 season, but was sidelined due to a knee injury in October 2024.
The guard played a critical role for LSU during the 2023 National Championship season, playing in 35 games and starting six.

BIG 12 EXPERIENCE

Although there are several new faces to the program, forward Jorynn Ross, guard Kyndall Hunter, associate head coach Damitria Buchanan assistant coaches Marqu'es Webb and Dominique Dillingham are no strangers to the Big 12.
Ross spent the 2024-25 season at Arizona while Hunter was at Texas from 2021-23.
Buchanan made stops at Texas Tech and Kansas, Webb coached two seasons at Kansas while Dillingham spent two seasons at Texas from 2020-22.

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

Although the Cougars have a new roster, several players and coaches have crossed paths in the past.
Amirah Abdur-Rahim spent two seasons at SMU with TK Pitts and assistant coach Anthony Anderson.
Abdur-Rahim recently spent the 2024-25 season at Texas A&M with Kyndall Hunter.
Kyndall Hunter spent one season at Texas alongside assistant coach Dominique Dillingham.
Kateri Poole and Amani Bartlett were teammate on the 2023 National Championship squad with LSU.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Jemma Hunter, Jade Jones and Kayla King are the three freshmen on the roster this season.
This marks the most freshmen on the roster since the 2020-21 season.

EXPERIENCED PLAYER

Amirah Abdur-Rahim is one of six players at the D1 level anticipated to play in four or more conference.
She previously made stops at Notre Dame (ACC), SMU (American Athletic Conference) and Texas A&M (SEC).

SERIES HISTORY

Houston record vs. UT Arlington	10-4
Home / away / neutral	5-2/4-2/1-0
Last meeting	L, 57-61 (Dec. 4, 2024) Away
Streak	UT Arlington 4

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