University of Houston
-94, 10 CUSA
Tulane
-97, 11 CUSA
Amazing Second Half Comeback Lifts Women's Basketball over Tulane
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2009
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Trailing by 18 points in the second half, the University of Houston women's basketball team completed an incredible comeback that was capped off by a pair of last second free throws from sophomore Courtney Taylor to top Tulane, 58-56, in the Cougars' Conference USA opening contest Friday night at Fogelman Arena.
Taylor collected her 18th career double-double with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while guard Brittney Scott was at the heart of the second half UH charge and tied a career-high with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor. Teammate Brittany Mason also enjoyed a productive night in New Orleans with five points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
The victory improves the Cougars' overall record to 9-4 for the year and 1-0 in C-USA play, while Tulane falls to 9-7 on the season and 1-1 in league action.
The Cougars got off to a sluggish shooting start in the contest, misfiring on their first nine attempts from the floor until Taylor delivered the team's first basket of the half at the 13:55 mark. Houston was also plagued with early foul trouble as it was guilty of 10 opening period fouls and 23 for the game.
Trailing 22-9, the Cougars appeared to be climbing their way back into the ball game, using a pair of lay-ups by freshman guard Porsche Landry to support a 6-0 run which cut the Green Wave advantage to 22-15 and force a time out from Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton.
Unfortunately for the visitors from Houston, Tulane responded out of the break with seven straight points on its way to building a 39-27 halftime lead.
Tulane, however, did not suffer the same early shooting woes that plagued UH, as the home team shot 55.6 percent in the opening period while the Cougars only connected at a 28.9 percent shooting clip. Freshman forward Brett Benzio was the story for the Green Wave, making 7-of-9 first half shots to lead all scorers at the intermission with 15 points.
After playing from behind for the entire game, the Cougars found themselves with their largest deficit of the night at 18, 45-27, with 16:19 remaining in the contest. When UH needed it most, Scott answered her team's call and scored 11 points during an 18-0 run and put the Cougars in position to tie the game at 45-45 on a jumper by Taylor at the 9:23 mark.
Coming down the stretch, the Green Wave was able to recover from the run to regain their advantage and push the home lead to as many as six, but Scott's second three-pointer of the half put the Cougars within a basket, 53-51, with 3:41 left on the clock.
Houston enjoyed a three-point lead, 56-53, with just over a minute to play, but three points from Tulane freshman Brett Benzio who lead the Green Wave with 19 points on the night, tied the game at 56-56 with only 20 seconds left.
Having the game's final possession, the Cougars took advantage as a quick inbounds pass to Taylor left her in position to get fouled and head to the line with one second left, where she sank the deciding shots for UH. The Cougars were aided with poor free throw shooting by Tulane down the stretch as the Green Wave were 5-for-15 from the charity stripe during the second half.
The Cougars continue their two-game C-USA opening road trip Sunday when they head west to El Paso, Texas, to battle defending league champion UTEP in a 1 p.m. contest that will be aired nationally on ESPN2.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
