University of Houston
6-4
Princeton
9-2
Princeton Tops Women's Basketball, 71-60
12/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2009
<>HOUSTON - Despite a team-high 23 points from junior guard Brittney Scott, the University of Houston women's basketball team fell to Princeton on Sunday at Hofheinz Pavilion by the score of 71-60. The loss, which snapped the Cougars three-game winning streak, was the first time this season they have been defeated on their home court and just the third time in their last 15 games overall.
"We lost to a really good team," said head coach Joe Curl. "They're really well coached. I felt like a bunch of our players tried to step up and really filled the losses we had with Courtney being out (due to a first half injury) because she's a great player."
Junior forward Lesslee Mason came within one point of notching her third double-double of the season, collecting a game-high 14 rebounds with nine points. Freshman Porsche Landry was also solid on the afternoon, contributing 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Houston fell to 6-4 on the season, but will not have long for a chance at redemption as the team is back in action on Tuesday, hosting No. 22 Kansas at Hofheinz Pavilion. Princeton, meanwhile, improves to 9-2 on the year.
In the opening minutes of the contest the two teams traded punches leaving the game tied 6-6 with 16:46 on the clock. Princeton found its shooting rhythm when the Tigers used an 11-2 run to build a seven-point advantage, 15-8, with 13:36 to play.
Seven straight points by Scott pulled the Cougars to back within a point at 19-18 as the junior for Orange, Texas, registered her fourth game of 20 or more points this season, finishing 8-of-20 shooting from the floor.
Houston again cut the Princeton lead to just a single digit at the 5:40 mark on a jumper by Lesslee Mason, but the Tigers roared back to rebuild a six-point advantage.
Landry's long distance jumper made it 28-25, but on the ensuing possession Princeton answered with its own 3-pointer from Addie Micir.
One of the biggest blows to the Cougars' chances came late in the second half when an inadvertent, off-the-ball collision knocked junior forward Courtney Taylor from the ball game. Taylor had scored four points, pulled down three rebounds and blocked a shot in 11 minutes of action.
Rebounding was a big key to the Tigers' first half success as they held a significant 29-15 advantage in rebounding, a figure that included 11 offensive rebounds, allowing them to take a 33-26 lead into halftime. For the game, Princeton held a 52-40 edge in rebounding, allowing the Tigers to out outscore the Cougars 21-5 in second chance points.
Returning to play after the intermission, Houston got back-to-back 3-pointers by Scott and Roxana Button to pull within three at 17:26 to play as the Cougars attempted to climb back on top.
A lay-up from Lesslee Mason at 16:14 made it just a basket lead for the visitors, 36-34, before the lead again was just two after a Scott 3-pointer with 13:33 to play.
Princeton used a 20-8 run over the next seven and half minutes to build its biggest lead of the afternoon 62-48 with 5:49 to play.
The Cougars remained resilient and made one final push to jump back into the contest cutting the lead to only six, 66-60, with 1:13 to play, but could not overcome the Tigers down the stretch.
UP NEXT Houston will try to put Sunday's loss behind it as it faces another tough challenge on Tuesday when No. 22 Kansas comes to Houston. Tip-off for the Kansas game is slated for 7 p.m. from Hofheinz Pavilion.
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