University of Houston
(4-2)
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UTEP
(2-3)
Lady Cougars Defeat UTEP for Third Straight Victory
12/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2002
El Paso, Texas - In a heated cross-state battle, the University of Houston women's basketball team defeated UTEP 89-86 Wednesday night at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso. All-American guard Chandi Jones led the offensive charge with a career-high 39 points on the night for her 60th consecutive double-digit career scoring performance.
Jones led all scorers with 39 points, a career-high seven steals, five rebounds and was 8-10 from the charity stripe. Jones' performance ranks her third in school history for single-game points -- just four shy of Pat Luckey's 43 against Rice on Jan. 13, 1996. Houston's Shondra Bush racked up her first career double-double with 17 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
UTEP (2-3, 0-0 WAC) was led by Dragana Zoric, who tallied 28 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. Kia Dowel and Gabbie Sutton were the other Miners to score in double figures, adding 13 and 12 points, respectively.
UTEP opened the game with two straight baskets and Houston trailed until KiKi Harris' free throw gave the Lady Cougars a 17-16 lead. The teams exchanged leads five times before going into halftime with a Houston leading by a one-point margin, 42-41.
The score was tied again early in the second half at 44-all until Angela Curl hit a three-pointer to give Houston the 47-43 advantage. The Lady Cougars led by eight at the 13:09 mark, their largest lead of the game. UTEP attempted a late rally and threatened with a jumper by Sutton to trail by three with :50 remaining. Jones answered with a jumper with only :27 to go as the Lady Cougars held on to win 86-81.
Houston shot 50 percent from the floor, totaled 24 fouls and committed 19 turnovers. The team was only 10-23 from the charity stripe, its lowest this season. The win over UTEP is Houston's third in a row and fifth all-time against the Miners.
The Lady Cougars (4-2, 0-0 C-USA) will travel to Raleigh, N.C, Friday for the 2002 GlaxoSmithKline Invitational hosted by North Carolina State. Houston will take on Florida (5-1, 0-0 SEC) Friday at 7:30 p.m. and the winner of the NC State/Washington game Saturday at 4 or 6 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum.
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