University of Houston
Lake Truck (Exhibition)
Women's Basketball Falls 78-66 In Exhibition Opener
10/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 29, 2006
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HOUSTON - On the strength of a double-double from former UCLA star Nikki Blue, Lake Truck knocked off the University of Houston women's basketball team, 78-66, in the exhibition opener for both squads, Sunday on Guy V. Lewis Court at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Blue nearly pulled off a triple double, finishing with 13 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and eight assists. Brandy Teamer and Chelsea Grear also finished with 13 points, while Brittany Jackson poured in 12.
Houston could not hang on to a 39-38 halftime advantage as the Cougars were victimized by a cold-shooting second half. UH was 11 for 33 from the field, 0 for 3 from behind the line and 5 for 9 from the charity stripe.
Lake Truck used an 11-4 run over three minutes to pull away to a nine-point cushion, 66-57, with 6:33 left in the game. The Cougars pulled within six at two points, but an inability to make shots handcuffed the home squad. Houston went scoreless for a period of over three minutes while Lake Truck moved the margin back to double figures and headed home with the 12-point victory.
Becky Gibson (Macon, Ga./Westside HS/Coffeyville CC) put together a career game as the diminutive point guard earned the start and made the most of her 29 minutes of playing time. She finished with a game-high 16 points on a 5 for 6 shooting night from the field and a 6 for 7 effort from the free throw line. She also pulled down five rebounds, dished out five assists and added a block. Sha'Ratta Hawkins (Houston, Texas/Jesse Jones HS) finished with 12 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
UH featured five players making their debut in the scarlet and white as Ryan Bradley (Houston, Texas/Madison HS), Whitney James (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Memorial HS/Northern Oklahoma College-Enid), Ashlee' Joseph (Houston, Texas/Booker T. Washington HS), Maya Onikute (Queens, N.Y./Park West HS/Barton County CC) and Alona Obaze (Dallas, Texas/Bryan Adams HS/Trinity Valley CC) all took the court for the first time.
Joseph, a freshman, finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Tye Jackson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Purdue) struggled from the field, shooting 2 for 18. She added a team-high six assists.
The Cougars are back in action on Nov. 10, playing a Friday night exhibition matchup with the Houston Jaguars. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Houston opens up the regular season on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m., facing off against Texas Tech at Hofheinz Pavilion. It is the first meeting between the two former Southwest Conference rivals since the 1996 season, which featured three contests, all Texas Tech wins. For tickets to any UH home event, call 713-GO-COOGS or log on to the official internet home of UH, www.UHCougars.com.
