Women's Basketball Preps For Exhibition Opener Friday
11/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 3, 2005
HOUSTON, Texas - The University of Houston women's basketball team opens up its quest for three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances Friday its first scheduled exhibition game against Everyone's Internet. The contest is slotted for a 7 p.m. CST start in Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Ev1.net squad is coached by former UH assistant Kevin Cook (1995-97) and is a traveling team, based out of the Houston area, with former WNBA and collegiate stars on its roster. Ev1.net is 1-1 on its 14-game preseason tour, knocking off Louisiana-Lafayette, 82-54 and losing to No. 3 LSU, 84-66. They were scheduled to take on No. 12 Texas Thursday night.
Two former UH players, Amanda Barksdale (2002-03) and Nicole Oliver (2000-04), are scheduled to take part in Friday's contest.
The Cougars, 21-9 last season, have appeared in the postseason in four of the past five years. UH looks to replace four starters from last year's team, including NCAA Division I rebounding leader Sancho Lyttle. The Cougars welcome seven new players, including three junior college transfers and two NCAA Division I transfers.
Earlier this month, the Cougars received five of 12 first place votes and were picked to finish second in the Conference USA preseason women's basketball poll. Rice snagged the other seven first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll. Following the Cougars was SMU, Marshall, Tulsa, UCF, Southern Miss, Memphis, Tulane, UAB, UTEP and East Carolina.
Tye Jackson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Purdue) and Jasmin Moore (Houston, Texas/Langham Creek HS) were named on the league's `Players To Watch' list. Each player on the list is expected to make significant contributions this season.
Jackson and Nichelle Roberts (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Kansas) will practice with the team but will not be eligible to play until the close of the fall semester at UH due to NCAA transfer regulations.
UH will play host to the Houston Jaguars on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Hofheinz prior to opening the regular season on Nov. 18 at Big Ten foe Wisconsin.
