University of Houston Athletics
Women's Basketball to Play Host to UTEP on Sunday
2/18/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2012
| HOUSTON (2-22 • 1-11) vs UTEP (23-2 • 12-0) | |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 p.m. • Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012 |
| Location | Hofheinz Pavilion (8,479) • Houston |
| Tickets | Ticket Information |
| Series History | Houston leads, 13-8 |
| Last Time | UTEP 87, Houston 43 (1/22/12) |
| 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  UTEP Notes Conference USA Notebook |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team returns home to play host to UTEP at 1 p.m., Sunday inside Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Cougars hope to carry over their hot-shooting touch from Thursday's narrow loss to East Carolina when they meet UTEP on Sunday, which is currently 12-0 in Conference USA action.
Houston shot nearly 50 percent from the field and buried a season-high 10 3-pointers on 13 attempts (.769) in Thursday's loss, as the Cougars couldn't hang on to a late lead against the Pirates on the road.
Senior guard Roxana Button enjoyed a career night, matching her career bests in points (30) and assists (5) while grabbing a personal high of eight rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Button continues to lead the league in scoring (17.8 ppg) and looks to compete in her 118th-straight game on Sunday, which would rank as the fourth-longest streak in Houston history.
Freshman Danielle Parks also posted her best performance in a Houston uniform on Thursday, draining five 3-pointers on five attempts for a career high of 17 points. Parks connected on back-to-back treys to give Houston its only lead of the contest with 7:48 remaining.
Amanda Lawson continues to rank as the top freshman in the league in scoring (9.2 ppg) while tying teammate Terran Alford as the top freshman rebounder (5.9 rpg).
PLAY 4KAY
The two teams will meet as part of the "Play 4Kay" initiative, formerly known as Pink Zone, which was designed to raise awareness for breast cancer. "Play 4Kay" honors the legendary N.C. State women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who passed away in 2009 after a long battle with breast cancer.
ABOUT UTEP
UTEP travels to Houston riding a 13-game winning streak and is 23-2 overall and a perfect 12-0 in C-USA play.
The Miners are averaging 67.9 points per contest, ranking second in the league, while leading C-USA in scoring margin (+15.4), free-throw percentage (69.3) and assists (15.2). UTEP is just as good defensively, allowing only 52.5 points per game and leading the league in field-goal percentage defense (.332), rebounding margin (+9.0) and blocked shots (5.9 bpg).
Senior forward Gloria Brown leads the Miners with 11.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the field. Kayla Thornton has added 8.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest, while Kelli Willingham has drained 47 3-pointers at a 42-percent clip.
SERIES HISTORY VS. UTEP
Houston and UTEP meet for the 22nd time in the series dating back to the 1987-88 season, as the Cougars hold a 13-8 advantage.
The Cougars saw their four-game winning streak against the Miners snapped earlier this season, as UTEP claimed an 87-43 victory in El Paso.
Houston swept the Miners last season, claiming a slim 70-62 victory in El Paso before posting a 77-61 rout in Houston to clinch the C-USA regular season title. The Cougars then topped UTEP in a thrilling 68-64 victory in the opening round of the C-USA Tournament.
