University of Houston
-187, 84 CUSA
East Carolina
-1015, 66 CUSA
Lady Cougars Sink the Pirates
2/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2005
The University of Houston women's basketball team used a 22-3 run at the end of the first half and beginning of the second half to gain a double-digit lead and defeat East Carolina, 74-52, Friday night at Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Lady Cougars trailed by as much as six points in the first half before taking their first lead with 11:20 left in the first half following a Joann Overstreet three-pointer. After a Kadi Creel trey extended the lead to 17-12, ECU outscored the Lady Cougars 12-6 over the next five and a half minutes to hold a 24-23 advantage after a Shanita Sutton lay-up.
Houston got hot following Sutton's lay-up and closed the half on a 14-3 run, which included six points by Shannon Steele off of two three pointers and six points from Sancho Lyttle. The Lady Cougars took a 37-27 lead into halftime following a Lyttle lay-up with four seconds remaining in the half.
The Houston lead grew to 18 following a three-pointer by Crystal Simpson with 17:50 left in the game. After the Pirates climbed to within 13 at 52-39, Houston outscored ECU 13-2 over the next 2:40 to extend the lead to 24 after a Daphne Andre three-pointer.
Houston's lead hit 26 after a Courtney Billingsley lay-up with 2:41 to go, but ECU capped off the game with a Jennifer Jackson lay-up to make the final 74-52.
Overstreet led Houston with 13 points and six assists. Lyttle added 12 points and 16 rebounds, and Steele chipped in with a career-high 10 points.
Lyttle set the single season record for rebounds by a Lady Cougar with her 303rd rebound of the season with her rebound with 19:32 remaining in the game. Valerie Muoneke held the old record.
Houston held a 23-13 edge on the offensive boards, and outscored ECU 28-8 on second chance points. The Houston bench outscored ECU's bench 35-12 in the game.
Houston improves to 18-7 on the year and 8-4 in Conference USA. Combined with TCU's win over Charlotte, Houston moves into a fourth-place tie with the 49ers heading into their game on Sunday.
Houston plays host to Charlotte on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion before going on to the road to play TCU on Feb. 27.
