University of Houston
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Mississippi State
Cougars Drop Close One to Mississippi State in Season Opener
11/8/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 8, 2013
Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery 
| MISSISSIPPI STATE 76, HOUSTON 68 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Jessieka Palmer was a perfect 4-of-4 from downtown |
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|---|
| Game Book | Season Stats | Quotes |
| 1 | 2 | F | |
| Mississippi State (1-0) | 31 | 45 | 76 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston (0-1) | 29 | 39 | 68 |
| Quick Stats | Mississippi State | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 76 | 68 |
| Field Goals | 28-75 | 18-57 |
| 3-Point Field Goals | 1-7 | 7-14 |
| Free Throws | 19-30 | 25-39 |
| Rebounds | 54 | 44 |
| Fouls | 29 | 28 |
| Assists | 19 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 17 | 22 |
| Blocks | 2 | 4 |
| Steals | 8 | 4 |
| Statistical Leaders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Pts | Rebs | Asts |
| Jessieka Palmer | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Tyler Gilbert | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Demetria Foreman | 7 | 5 | 8 |
| Mississippi State | Pts | Rebs | Asts |
| Breanna Richardson | 14 | 4 | 1 |
| Sherise Williams | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| Savannah Carter | 12 | 9 | 2 |
HOUSTON--- Sophomore guard Jessieka Palmer exploded for 18 points on 4-of-4 shooting from three-point land, while pulling down seven rebounds, but it wasn't enough, as Mississippi State outlasted the Cougars, 76-68, on opening night at Hofheinz Pavilion.
Sophomore forward Tyler Gilbert also had a big night for Houston (0-1), as she scored a career-best 12 points, while pulling down a career-high tying five rebounds. Senior forward Marissa Ashton also joined the double-figure club, as she put in 10 points, and grabbed six boards in the loss.
Mississippi State (1-0) boasted five players in double-figures, with freshman forward Breanna Richardson leading the way with 14 points on 7-of-17 shooting, while junior guard Savannah Carter nearly recorded a double-double, posting 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Things didn't look promising early for Houston, as Mississippi State jumped out to a commanding 16-5 lead within the first 10 minutes of the game, holding the Cougars without a bucket for just over six minutes during that span.
However, Houston eventually launched a scoring run of its own, outscoring the Bulldogs 13-7 over the final 7:54 to close the gap to 31-29 at the halftime intermission.
Houston shot just 6-of-27 from the field for 22 percent in the first half, but solid free throw shooting kept it in the game, as the Cougars converted 15-of-20 shots from the charity stripe, as opposed to the Bulldogs' 3-of-8 mark.
The cold shooting would continue in the second half, as the Mississippi State lead eventually ballooned to has high at 13 points with 16:30 left in the contest, but once again Houston battled back.
Palmer single-handedly willed the Cougars back into the game, knocking down three consecutive treys within a two-minute span to bring Houston within 46-41 with 14:17 remaining.
Houston got things to as close as 67-64, after junior guard Demetria Foreman capped off a mini 5-0 scoring run with a contested layup, after junior forward Destini Texada cleaned up a loose rebound on the other end.
The Cougars were never able to claim the lead in the second half, as they ended up shooting just 32 percent for the game and were beat off the glass 54-44.
Houston will aim to rebound and get that first win of the season, as it'll take on Northwestern State next Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. CT.
Game Notes: Houston falls 28-11 all-time in season openers and sufferers just its fifth loss all-time in home season openers (16-5). The loss was just its third in its last nine openers at home...the loss snaps what was a brief two-game home win streak going back to last season.
