University of Houston
14-7, 6-3
Rice
5-17, 0-9
Hill Carries Women's Basketball to Win Over Rice
2/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2009
HOUSTON - Led by another stellar performance from sophomore center Cobilyn Hill, who produced a game-high 18 points to go along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots, the University of Houston women's basketball team earned a 66-56 victory over cross-town rival Rice Wednesday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
The win is the second straight away from their home court for the Cougars and improves their overall record to 14-7 this season, including a 6-3 mark in Conference USA play. Rice, meanwhile, drops its ninth straight contest to fall to 5-17 on the year and 0-9 in C-USA play.
Hill, who poured in 14 of her 18 points in the second half, stepped up her game during UH's three-game road trip during which she led the team by averaging 15.7 points per contest. Joining her in double figure scoring Wednesday against the Owls was sophomore guard Brittney Scott, who made 5-of-9 field goals for 13 points.
Sophomore forward Courtney Taylor fell just short of notching her 22nd career double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.
Both team struggled in the opening minutes of the first half, with Rice missing its first seven shots from the floor and UH turning the ball over four times. Taylor's short jumper at the 17:55 mark of the first half broke the scoring ice after several minutes of frustration on both sides.
The game remained close and was tied at 6-6 with 15:21 to play in period when the Cougars went on a 14-4 run over the next 3:17 to build a 10-point advantage, 20-10.
UH's lead swelled to as many at 12, 28-16, in the first half on a lay-up by Scott as the Cougars made eight of their first 10 field goal attempts in the game. The tide shifted slightly at the end of the first half when the Owls outscored the visitors 10-4 during the final 4:19 of the half to go into intermission down only six, 32-26.
On the first possession after halftime, Hill's lay-up to pushed the Cougars advantage to eight, but Rice rallied with a 12-4 run to tied the game, 38-38, with 15:51 to play.
Rice once again tied the game, this time at 42-42, but Hill made all three baskets of a 6-0 UH run that left the visitors leading 48-42 with 11:36 to play. The Owls cut the lead back down to a single possession, 51-48, with 7:29 to play, but that would be as close as they came to holding off the Cougars, who used a 15-3 run over the next 6:54 to seal the win.
The Cougars and Owls will not get much of a break from one another as the two teams square off against on Saturday in a 5 p.m. contest at UH's Hofheinz Pavilion.
