University of Houston
6-3
Boston College
8-2
Women's Basketball Falls to Boston College, 62-56, Saturday
12/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2008
Houston vs. Boston College Final Book in PDF Format 
QUEENS, N.Y. Boston College overcame a 14 point halftime deficit to hand the University of Houston women's basketball team a tough 62-56 loss in both teams' opening games of the 2008 St. John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic on Saturday in New York City.
Sophomore Courtney Taylor posted her second-straight and 15th career double-double, netting 16 points and grabbing a team-high 12 boards. Fellow sophomore Brittney Scott led the Cougars with 17 points and added seven rebounds and two assists.
Houston (6-3) raced out to a quick start in the opening stanza, putting together a 17-3 run to open play. Scott and Taylor paced the run with four points apiece during the game's first eight minutes.
Houston's smothering defense held BC to just 3-of34 (.088) shooting from the floor and caused 13 first-half turnovers, holding star center Carolyn Swords to only two points in the opening half.
Despite Boston College's size the Cougars dominated inside in the first 20 minutes, outscoring the Eagles 16 to 2 in the paint. Houston's up-tempo play also led to an 8-0 advantage in fast break points.
But, the Cougars 15 turnovers allowed the Eagles to hang around and chip away at the lead to single digits before Houston stretched the lead back to 14 at the end of the half, 28-14.
The second half started just as the first half ended with Taylor putting away an inside jumper to stretch the lead to 16, and as Houston's defense continued to befuddle Swords in the post, everything seemed to be going UH's way.
The Eagles were forced to hit from the perimeter, and BC guard Mickel Picco stepped up to lead a second-half charge, scoring 24 of her 29 points in the first 11 minutes of the second half to hand BC a 50-48 lead with 8:59 to play.
UH would briefly regain the lead at 53-52 on Scott's 3-pointer with just over three minutes to play, but Boston College would answer with a 10-3 run for the game's final margin.
Houston returns to the hardwood at noon (CST), Sunday, when the Cougars face the Buffalo Bulls in the St. John's-Chartwells Holiday Classic.
