University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
Saint Louis
Lady Cougars Win in Overtime at Saint Louis
2/15/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2002
Sophomore Chandi Jones led Houston's surge in the second half with 24 second-half points and tied the game with a two-point jumper with just two seconds left in the clock to force the game into overtime as the Lady Cougars outscored Saint Louis to win their fourth straight by a final of 79-71 over the Billikens on Friday (Feb. 15) night at Bauman-Eberhardt Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
Houston jumped out to an initial 9-2 lead from tip-off before Saint Louis began to chip away at the score and, after tying the game, Harmonie King nailed a three-pointer with 11:25 left to give the Billikens their first lead of the night, 12-9. Despite shooting 46.4% (13-28) from the field in the first half, the Lady Cougars were out-rebounded, 20-17, and allowed Saint Louis to capitalize on 10 team turnovers and nail four threes as the Billikens build their 37-29 half-time lead.
In the opening 10 minutes of the second half, the Lady Cougars outscored Saint Louis, 15-10, and put together an 8-0 run as they pulled to within nine (52-43) with 9:35 left in regulation. Jones scored each of the Lady Cougars' next 14 points as Houston continued to chip away at the Billikens' lead. Down, 63-58 with three minutes left on the clock, freshman KiKi Harris, who turned in her second double-double performance of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds, nailed both free throws to pull Houston to within three (60-63) before Saint Louis' Star Jackson answered with a two-point jumper to put the Billikens back on top by five.
Harris scored two more points on a lay up, and a two-pointer by Jones with just 45 seconds remaining to tie the score at 64-64. After Saint Louis' went back on top with a two-pointer by Kirstie Holloway, Lady Cougar senior once again tied the grudge match at 66-66 with a two-pointer, and erased a came back from a 37-2fter Christi Shelton was fouled and made both free throws for a brief two-point lead, Jones made a two-point basket with just one second left to once again tie the game, 68-68, and force over time.
Once in over time, the Lady Cougars jumped out to a quick 76-68 lead and shut down the Billikens until Shelton hit a two and one of two free throws. Houston outscored Saint Louis, 11-3, in the extra five minutes for the victory.
The story of the night was All-American candidate Jones, who shot 50 percent (11-22) from the field and was 12-of-18 from the charity stripe en route to a career-high 37 points-24 of which came in the second half alone-while leading Houston's comeback. The 37 points surpasses her previous career high of 32, which she bucketed in the Lady Cougars' big win over Louisiana Tech last season on Dec. 3, 2000. In addition, the 37 points ties Jones with four former Lady Cougars for the third-most points scored in a single game, with the last being Jana Crosby against TCU on Feb. 21, 1990.
Jones also added a game-high five steals, seven rebounds and three assists while playing all 45 minutes of the contest.
Joining Jones in double figures on the night was Harris (10), sophomore Nicole Oliver (13 points) and freshman Ashley Cotton (11 points). Muoneke, who continues to lead Houston in blocks, registered a game-high three on the night.
The win was the Lady Cougars' fourth in a row, as well as their fourth straight C-USA victory. They improve to 18-6 overall on the season-just one win shy of the 19 wins posted a year ago-and now carry a 8-3 record in conference play.
Houston continues this final road swing of the regular season against the Memphis Lady Tigers at Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis on Sunday, Feb. 17, with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised over the Conference USA Television Network, and can be heard live in Houston on KGBC 1540 AM.
