University of Houston Athletics
Women's Basketball Ready to Host SMU on Thursday
2/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2012
| SMU (11-9 • 4-3) at HOUSTON (2-17 • 1-6) | |
|---|---|
| Time | 7 p.m. • Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012 |
| Location | Hofheinz Pavilion (8,479) • Houston |
| Tickets | Ticket Information |
| Series History | Houston leads, 29-17 |
| Last Time | SMU 76, Houston 61 (1/12/12) |
| Radio | Listen Live Houston Sports Network online broadcast powered by Stretch Internet Jeremy Branham, (play-by-play), Louis Ray (Color) |
| Live Video | UH All Access |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Houston Notes  SMU Notes Conference USA Notebook |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team looks to kick off the month of February in winning fashion, playing host to SMU in a rematch at 7 p.m., Thursday at Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Cougars return to the court after dropping a 58-50 decision to Rice on Saturday. A late Houston rally fell just short as the Cougars mounted a 16-2 run to cut a 20-point deficit with 9:04 remaining to only six points with 1:41 left to play.
The story of the afternoon was Houston's breakout defensive performance, which saw the Cougars limit Rice to a season-low 23 percent shooting effort from the field. The 58 points surrendered by the Cougars was the second-fewest allowed this season and was nearly 15 points lower than the season average. Houston also swatted nine shots, tying a school record for games played at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Fans will likely see history made during Thursday's contest, as senior guard Roxana Button is only two points shy of becoming the 22nd member of Houston's 1,000-point club. Button, who looks to climb into sole possession of seventh place with her 113th-consecutive game played, is averaging a league-best 18.2 points per game this season.
ABOUT SMU
SMU has won four of its past five games entering Thursday's meeting with Houston for an 11-9 overall record and a 4-3 mark in C-USA play.
Junior guard Alisha Filmore leads the Mustangs with 10.6 points and 2.9 assists per game. Filmore is a threat from 3-point range, shooting 39 percent (21-of-54) while burying four treys against the Cougars in the first meeting this season. Akil Simpson and Christine Elliott form a productive post presence for SMU, combining for 18.6 points and 14.5 rebounds per game this season.
The Mustangs are averaging 60.1 points per game while surrendering 58.0 points per contest and allowing the opposition to shoot 38 percent from the field. SMU has also been outrebounded by a 39.4 to 37.8 margin.
SERIES HISTORY VS. SMU
Houston and SMU meet for the second time this season and the 47th time overall, as the Cougars hold a 29-17 advantage in the series. Houston has posted a 13-7 record against SMU at Hofheinz Pavilion. Houston dominated the early part of the rivalry, winning the first 20 games before current SMU head coach Rhonda Rompola took over in 1991. Houston held a 24-9 advantage in Southwest Conference games and is 5-8 against the Mustangs in C-USA action.
In the first meeting this season, SMU claimed a 76-61 victory over the Cougars in Dallas, as Houston was plagued by two scoring droughts to end each half. Roxana Button (21), Amanda Lawson (15) and Michelle White (10) all scored in double figures in the loss.
The last time the two teams met at Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 30, 2011, the contest turned into one of the most memorable in Houston history, as the Cougars overcame a six-point deficit with only 27 seconds remaining for a five-point victory.
Senior guard Britney Scott ignited the 11-0 run, knocking down a 3-pointer to cut the deficit in half. After SMU missed the front end of a free-throw, Scott struck again with another bomb to knot the contest with 15 seconds remaining. Fellow senior Brittany Mason then knocked down a pair of free-throws after a stolen inbounds pass, and the Cougars would also snag the next two inbounds passes to seal the comeback.
ALFORD TABBED C-USA FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Terran Alford earned her first-career C-USA Freshman of the Week award on Monday after a solid all-around performance against Rice.
The Oklahoma City, Okla., native posted 10 points off a perfect 5-of-5 performance from the field to go with eight rebounds. Alford also shined defensively with a career-best three steals and two blocks while limiting Rice's Jessica Kuster to just a 4-of-14 effort from the field. Kuster, the lone player in C-USA averaging a double-double, held just four points and three rebounds at the half.
Alford played a huge role in Houston's defense that held the Owls to just 23 percent shooting and blocked nine shots, which tied a school record in games played at Hofheinz Pavilion. The Cougars also outscored Rice in the paint by a 24-8 margin.
BUTTON CLOSING IN ON 1,000-POINT CLUB
Entering the 2011-12 season, few would have thought that senior guard Roxana Button would get the opportunity to become the school's 22nd member of the 1,000-point club, but with the loss of six seniors from a year ago and a rash of injuries, Button has been depended on to create offense and has lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 18.2 points per game through 19 games this season.
Button entered the season with 653 points at an average of 7.0 points per game, and has already tallied 345 points for a career total of 998. Button opened the season scoring in double figures in 16-straight games, surpassing her previous career high of four-straight double-digit performances.
The Coppell, Texas, native joined the school's 30-point club against Yale on Nov. 25, and matched her career high with 30 points at UTSA on Dec. 4. Button leads the league in scoring (18.2 ppg), 30-point performances (2) and 20-point games (10) after entering the season having scored 20 or more points only once in her career.
