University of Houston
Ball St
Lady Cougars Fall to Ball State in Season Opener
11/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2002
Ball State kept Houston scoreless while racking up a 22-0 lead before Chandi Jones' nailed a three-pointer to put Houston on the board as the Cardinals sailed to a 78-63 victory over the University of Houston Lady Cougar basketball team in the first round of the 2002 Fazoli's/Hampton Inn Classic on Friday (Nov. 22) night at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
Ball State's Tamara Bowie, who finished the night with a game-high 27 points to lead all players, scored 13 of the Cardinals' first 22 points as Houston's offense struggled from tip-off. After Jones' initial trey and junior Nicole's Oliver's three-pointer to put the Lady Cougars into double digits with just over 10 minutes left in the half, Houston continued to battle and chip away at Ball State's lead.
Sophomore Shondra Bush's first of two free throws with 5:23 left sparked a 14-0 Lady Cougar run as they pulled within 10 and entered the locker room at half-time down by just ten, 47-37. Jones, who racked up a team-leading 21 points in the contest to extend her double-digit point game streak to 55 straight, and Bush led the Lady Cougar brigade with nine and six points, respectively.
The Cardinals answered Houston's momentum and opened the second half with 10-3 run to increase their lead, which proved to be too much for the Lady Cougars' to overcome. Houston pulled to within 17 points (68-51) with 6:33 remaining, but Ball State once again took control and defensively held off the Houston offense. The game was very physical, with a combined 38 fouls between both schools.
Following Jones in double digits for the Lady Cougars was Bush with 17 points and Oliver with 11. Jones also pulled down a team-high nine boards and five assists, while Oliver led the squad with a career-high six steals and three blocks.
With the loss, Houston faces Wofford, which lost to tournament host Indiana in the first game of the evening, in the consolation game of the Classic on Saturday, Nov. 23, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. CT). The Lady Cougars' record is now 0-1 on the season.
