University of Houston
7-1
Nebraska
8-2
UH Women's Basketball Topples No. 21 Nebraska, 79-70
12/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2010
Box Score (pdf) | Stats | Quotes
LAS VEGAS - Porsche Landry scored 18 of her team-high 21 points in the second half as the University of Houston women's basketball team knocked off No. 21 Nebraska by a score of 79-70 Saturday afternoon to kick off play at the Dual in the Desert Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Cougars (7-1) held a 13-point lead at the half and endured two furious Nebraska runs down the stretch to hang on for their first victory over a ranked team this season.
Nebraska's Jordan Hooper stormed out of the break, scoring 12 points in just over four minutes as the Huskers put together a 14-3 run to cut the Houston lead to only three points.
Houston kicked the lead back out to 13 points after scoring nine consecutive points, but the Huskers answered with a 12-2 run to push the deficit back to three points with 8:16 remaining.
With the Cougars holding an eight-point lead, senior Jasmine Johnson sank her first 3-pointer of the year to push the Houston advantage back to double digits with only 4:12 left to play.
The Cougar defense held Nebraska scoreless for over four minutes until Dominique Kelley hit a jumper at the 2:58 mark, and Hooper was held to only two field goals over the final 15 minutes.
Landry scored the last six points for the Cougars over the final two minutes to put the contest out of reach. Landry was 7-of-11 from the field and 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, while posting five assists, four rebounds and three steals in only 24 minutes of play. The Houston native has handed out at least five assists in five-straight contests.
Brittney Scott added 16 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-of-15 from the field, including a 4-of-10 effort from 3-point range. Scott began the contest with a hot hand, hitting back-to-back treys to open the game en route to 11 points in the opening half.
Courtney Taylor registered her seventh double-double of the season and 47th of her career with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Lesslee Mason chipped in with nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, marking the fifth contest this season with double-digit rebounds.
Roxana Button and Brittany Mason each added seven points apiece.
The Cougars never trailed in the contest, and took their first double-digit lead at the 9:42 mark of the first half after a 12-3 run. Button drained a 3-pointer with 21 ticks left to give Houston its largest lead at 16 points before Nebraska's Hooper answered with a trey before the buzzer.
Hooper led the Huskers (8-2) with 28 points and 13 rebounds, while Kelley added 14 points and nine boards.
Houston shot 42 percent (27-of-65) from the field, marking the highest clip in the last four games. Nebraska shot a dismal 33 percent (26-of-79) from the field, despite knocking down 10 3-pointers.
The two teams split the rebounding battle at 51 apiece, while the Cougars turned the ball over only 11 times and swatted nine shots.
Houston returns to action at 6:00 p.m. CT Sunday against Louisville.
NOTES
*The Cougars improved to 7-1 this season, marking only the sixth time in program history Houston has won seven of its first eight contests.
*Todd Buchanan has recorded the second-best start for a first-year head coach, as Greg Williams' Cougars began the 1985-86 season 8-0.
*The Cougars improved to 2-2 all-time against Nebraska and 2-1 against the Huskers at a neutral site.
*Courtney Taylor pushed her school-record double-double total to 47 with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
*Taylor pulled down five offensive rebounds to jump into third place all-time at Houston with 288 offensive boards. Taylor also moved into fourth spot in career starts (91) and minutes (2,880).
