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University of Houston Athletics
Women's Hoops to Host No. 5 Louisville on Tuesday
1/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2014
Houston (4-13, 0-6 The American) vs. No. 5 Louisville (18-1, 6-0 The American)
Houston, Texas | Hofheinz Pavilion
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 | 7:00 p.m. CT
Game Coverage: |Watch on ESPN3.com| Live Audio
Houston Game Notes 
| Louisville Game Notes | American Notes
HOUSTON--- The Cougars return home to Hofheinz Pavilion where they'll take on their second top-five opponent in the last two weeks, when they clash with No. 5 Louisville, Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. CT
There will be live television coverage of Houston's game vs. Louisville available on espn3.com or on the WatchESPN application.
There will be live audio streaming available for Houston's game vs. Louisville. To access audio for the game visit www.UHCougars.com, click the women's basketball schedule page, then click the "audio" link to listen for free through stretch internet. Jeremy Branham will have the play-by-play, while Louis Ray will provide the color commentary
There will be live stats available for Houston's game vs. Louisville. To access live stats for the game visit www.UHCougars.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "GameTracker" link.
Follow the Cougars!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougarSports), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the women's basketball team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarWomensBasketball) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarWBB).
Women's Basketball Ticket Information
Season tickets for the 2013-14 season are now on sale in the Athletics Ticket Office, starting as low as $100 for general admission seating. Season tickets for floor seating are available for only $250.
Fans can also purchase flex tickets, using all 15 tickets for one home game, one ticket for all 15 contests or any combination in between.
How to Order
To purchase season tickets, fans can call 713-Go-COOGS (462-6647) or 877-COUGAR-5 (268-4275) or visit the Athletics Ticket Office, located on the first floor of the Athletics/Alumni Center from 8 a.m., to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or online at UHCougars.com and following the appropriate links.
To secure parking spaces and to support student-athlete scholarships through Cougar Pride for the upcoming season, fans should contact Cougar Pride at 713-743-GoUH or email cougarpride@uh.edu. Fans also can visit UHCougars.com and click the Cougar Pride tab for more information.
Fans are encouraged to purchase their season tickets early for the best seats in the house.
A Look at the Series...
Houston vs. Louisville
Overall Record 3-9
Home Record 2-3
Away Record 0-5
Neutral Site Record 1-1
Longest Win Streak 2 games
Longest Losing Streak 5 games
Current Streak Won 1
Record in Last 10 Meetings 3-7
First Meeting
Jan. 17, 1997 (L, 70-46)
Last Meeting
Dec. 19, 2010 at Hofheinz Pavilion (W, 92-80)
The Series Game-by-Game
01/17/97 at Louisville* L 46-70
02/23/97 LOUISVILLE* L 57-69
01/11/98 LOUISVILLE* L 67-79
01/08/99 at Louisville* L 69-85
02/20/00 at Louisville* L 54-68
01/07/01 LOUISVILLE* W 85-63
01/18/02 Louisville* W 71-68
01/17/03 at Louisville* L 78-90
01/25/04 Louisville* L 75-77 (OT)
01/23/05 at Louisville* L 49-50
03/05/05 vs. Louisville^ L 48-56
12/19/10 vs. Louisville^ W 92-80
Series Notes: The former Conference USA rivals will renew their rivalry Tuesday, this time as American foes. Last time these two squads met was on Dec. 19, 2010 during the Duel in the Desert Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Houston handed Louisville a 92-80 loss in that game. Current Director of Basketball Operations Brittany Mason went for 10 points and eight rebounds in that contest, as the Cougars eventually went on to have one of their best years in program history, as they finished the season 26-6 overall with a trip to the NCAA Tournament....While the Cardinals hold an overall 9-3 edge in the series, Houston's last three losses to Louisville have come by an average of just 3.6 points, including one overtime contest....Houston's largest margin of victory vs. Louisville came by a margin of 12 points, twice, a 92-80 win on Dec. 19, 2010 and an 85-63 victory on Jan. 7, 2001...UH's largest margin of defeat came in the very first meeting between the two programs, a 70-46 loss on Jan. 17,1997 (24 points)...Houston is 2-3 at home vs. the Cardinals, with the last home meeting coming on Jan. 25, 2004.
Looking at Louisville
The Cardinals enter this one as the No. 5 team in the country and as hot as can be after winning 11 straight contests, with their lone loss coming vs. in-state rival Kentucky (69-64) back on Dec. 1...Louisville (18-1, 6-0 The American) is led by senior guard Shoni Schimmel, who averages a team-leading 17.2 points per game, on 40 percent shooting from the field. Junior forward Sara Hammond averages a team-best 6.7 rebounds per contest, while also posting an average of 11.5 points per game. Bria Smith and Asia Taylor average 9.8 and 9.4 points per game respectively to round out the top scorers for the Cards...Louisville leads The American in five separate categories and averages 83.4 points per game, while surrendering just 59.4 points per contest...The Cards were picked to finish second in The American according to the league's preseason poll...Louisville was the national runner-up last season, losing to eventual champion UConn in the NCAA title game.
Houston vs. Ranked Opponents
The Cougars are 17-125 all-time vs. ranked opponents with their last ranked contest coming back on Jan. 7 at No. 1/ 1 UConn (L, 90-40)...Houston's last contest vs. a ranked opponent at home came on Nov. 17 vs. No. 16/12 Texas A&M (L, 63-51)...the Cougars' last win vs. a ranked team came vs. No. 21 Nebraska (79-70) on Dec. 18, 2010...Houston's last win vs. a ranked opponent at home came on Feb. 27, 2004 vs. No. 17 TCU (76-71)...UH has dropped seven straight home contests to ranked opponents, while it's lost each of its last six contests overall vs. ranked teams...Houston is 9-58 all-time vs. ranked teams at home...Houston is 1-32 all-time vs. top-five opponents, with it's lone top-five win coming on Dec. 9, 1985 vs. No. 3 Louisiana Tech (66-60)
Last Time Out For the Cougars
The Cougars put together one of their best defensive performances of the season, holding a high-octane Memphis offense to just 48 points on 35 percent shooting, but in the end it just wasn't enough, as Houston dropped a close one, 48-40, last Saturday afternoon at Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
Junior guard Demetria Foreman dropped in a team-high 13 points and collected a game-high and career-best four steals, while senior forward Destini Texada nearly had herself a double-double, as she grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and poured in seven points.
Senior guard Te'onna Campbell found a way to contribute as well, scoring seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, while collecting eight rebounds and three steals in the loss.
The Cougar defense held sophomore guard Ariel Hearn to just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting for the game, as she came into the contest as the second-leading scorer in The American, averaging 18.9 points per game. Sophomore forward Asianna Fuqua-Bey poured in a game-high 18 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds for Memphis in the win.
However, the Cougar defense locked her down in the second half, as Fuqua-Bey failed to score a single point in the second half of play.
Houston (4-13, 0-6 The American) claimed a 17-14 lead with 9:28 left to play in the first half after Foreman converted on one of her two made three-balls in the game. In fact Houston connected on five of its first 10 shots from the field, but 14 first half turnovers prevented the Cougars from extending their lead.
Despite the miscues the Cougars were able to command most of the first half, as they held the Tigers (10-8, 3-3 The American) to just 37 percent shooting from the field. Houston outrebound Memphis 24-18 and outscored the Tiger bench 8-2 through the first 45 minutes play.
Memphis milked its lead to as high as six points in the first half, but Foreman swished a trey with 1:41 remaining in the half to cut the Cougar deficit to 28-25, which was the eventual halftime score.
Both teams continued to grind in the second half, but Memphis was able extend its advantage to 40-29 with 11:07 left to play in the contest after a Taylor Williams jumper.
Houston inched its way back into the game, after Texada converted on an and-one opportunity to make it just a 46-40 ballgame with 3:22 remaining, but the Cougars would go scoreless the rest of the way, as the offense was never really able to find its rhythm.
The Cougars outrebounded Memphis 40-39 for the contest and won the second chance point battle 11-8.
Not Holding Back
When Houston takes on No. 5 Louisville on Tuesday, it will be the third ranked team the Cougars have played this season (#16/12 Texas A&M and #1/1 UConn) and the second top-five opponent on the year. It's the most ranked teams Houston has faced in a single season since it also played three top-25 schools during the 2007-08 campaign...It's the first time Houston has played two top-five teams in a season since the 1999-00 campaign.
Where We Rank
Through 17 games here's a look at where the Cougars stack up early on. Houston ranks third in The American in offensive rebounds per game (15.4). Through six games of conference play Houston ranks third in offensive rebounds (15.3 rpg) and fourth in blocked shots per game (4.5).
What's Trending
UH has recorded two or more double-digit scorers in 14 of 17 games this season...Houston has scored more points in the first half than the second half in seven of its last 10 games...UH has won the second chance point battle in 10 of its last 15 tilts...the Cougars have won the turnover battle in eight of their last 14 games...a Cougar bench player has scored in double-digits in four of the last six contests...UH has led at halftime in three of its last six games.
Houston's Dynamic Duo
Te'onna Campbell and Marche' Amerson have combined to score 31 percent (300/957) of the Cougars' total points this season.
Wade Scott Takes Over as Interim Head Coach
Former associate head coach Wade Scott took over the title of Interim Head Coach on Dec. 21, 2013 after former head coach Todd Buchanan chose to resign due to personal reasons. Scott is in his eighth season with the Cougar women's basketball program and will serve as the Head Coach for the remainder of the 2013-14 campaign. Scott technically becomes the seventh head coach in program history. He looks to earn his first Division I victory this Tuesday vs. Louisville.
Smith Can Shoot It
Alecia Smith has proved to be an offensive force over the last five contests for the Cougars, as she's averaged 8.2 points per game, while connecting on 13-of-37 three pointers for 35.1 percent during that span. She ranks seventh in three-point percentage and fourth in three pointers made per game (2.2) so far during American play.
A Team Effort
The Cougars had posted a different leading scorer in seven consecutive games until Te'onna Campbell broke that streak by leading the team with 21 points on Jan. 11 vs. Cincinnati. (Thompson/ Campbell/ Amerson 9 pts 12/08 at Alabama, Texada 14 pts 12/15 at Texas State, Foreman 20 pts 12/20 at Rice, Campbell 16 pts 12/28 vs. UCF, Smith 15 pts 12/31 vs. USF, Ashton 19 pts 01/04 at Rutgers, Amerson/ Smith 11 pts 01/07 at UConn)...Still no player has flat out (all by herself) led the team in scoring in consecutive games since Te'onna Campbell did it on 11/30 vs. Kent State and 12/01 vs. Prairie View A&M.
Bench Production
The Cougars have received double-digit scoring performances from a reserve in four of the last six games, three times from Alecia Smith and once from Marissa Ashton...the leading scorer has also come off the bench in two of the last four contests...Ashton's 19 points off the bench at Rutgers on Jan. 4, 2014 were the most amount of points any Cougar reserve has scored this season.
It Starts With Consistency
The Cougars have used the starting lineup of Demetria Foreman (PG), Marche' Amerson (SG), Te'onna Campbell (SF), Destini Texada (PF), and Yasmeen Thompson (C) in 12 consecutive contests going back to Nov. 30 vs. Kent State. Three of the Cougars' four wins on the year have come when this unit has started.
The First Half, Times Two
The Cougars have held a lead at halftime in three of its last six games but over the last six second halves the Cougars have combined for just 134 points (22.3 points per half on average) and 46-of-183 from the field for 25.1 percent.
Shutting Them Down
Houston put together arguably it's best defensive half of the season during first half at Rutgers on Jan 4, as the Cougars held the Scarlet Knights to just 9-of-37 shooting for 24.3 percent in the half. That was the lowest shooting percentage UH has held any opponent to in a half so far this season...Houston has held an opponent under 50 points for game three separate times this season, including last outing at Memphis.
Streaks Meant For Snapping
Houston has dropped six consecutive games overall, which is their longest losing skid since dropping 12 straight during the 2011-12 campaign...Six straight losses to begin conference play is the longest such streak since the Cougars lost all 14 league games during the 1996-97 season...Houston has dropped four straight home games, the most since losing six in a row at Hofheinz Pavilion during the 2011-12 season.
A Part of American History
The Cougars and UCF Knights participated in what was the first ever American Athletic Conference game on Dec. 28. The American marks Houston's third different conference in school history in what is program's 39th year in existence. Houston's game on Dec. 28 was also the debut of the conference's original American Digital Network. The Cougars will be shown on the network at least seven sperate times this season, not including conference tournament play.
Lights...Camera...Action!
Twelve Cougar women's basketball regular season games will be shown on television this season. Seven games will be shown on the American Digital Network (Dec. 28 vs. UCF, Jan. 25 vs. SMU, Jan. 29 at USF, Feb. 1 at UCF, Feb 8 at Cincinnati, Feb. 15 at SMU, March 1 at Memphis), four games will be shown on the ESPN family of networks (Dec. 31 vs. USF, Jan. 7 at UConn, Jan. 21 vs. Louisville, and Feb. 22 vs. UConn), while one will be shown on WHAS (Feb. 19 at Louisville).
Campbell Can Do A Lot
Te'onna Campbell has done it all for the Cougars so far this season. She leads the team in steals per game (2.1), overall steals (29), and minutes played per contest (31.1) in just 14 games played this year. While she stands at just 5-foot-10, she ranks second on the team in rebounds per game, grabbing 7.2 per game and leads the team in scoring (10.4 ppg). She's scored in double-digits in eight of 14 contests played this year and has led the team in scoring in five of the last 12 games.
Double-Double Machine
Te'onna Campbell has racked up double-doubles on the regular this season, collecting four in just 14 games played this year. She leads the team in that category
What an Honor
Te'onna Campbell became the first Cougar to earn a spot on the conference's weekly honor roll team on Dec. 30, thanks to her 16 point, 10 rebound performance vs. USF on Dec. 28 in the league opener.
Cleaning Up
Senior center Yasmeen Thompson has led Houston in rebounding in eight of its last 13 contests. She leads the team in overall rebounding (7.8 rpg) and defensive rebounding (4.5 rpg). She's also posted double-digit rebounds six times this year...her rebounds per game rank 10th in the conference, while her defensive rebounds also rank 10th, and her offensive rebounds per game rank eighth (3.3 rpg)
Oh So Close
Seven of Houston's 12 losses have been by nine points or less, while only three losses this season has come by 13+ points...the Cougars have been within three points (or better) of the opposition with under 10 minutes to play in the game in 11 of 17 contests this year. They've been within three points (or better) with under four minutes to play in eight of the 17 games.
Iron Woman
Marche' Amerson has started in every game of her Houston career thus far, 47 games and counting.
Not So Free
While Houston's free throw shooting is a disappointing 58.7 percent this season, let's take a look at what the final scores of all 17 games could have looked like if those misses were turned into makes...with the free throw misses turned into makes the Cougars would be 8-9 with a scoring margin of +3.35 instead of what currently is a scoring margin of -7.2.
11/8 vs. Mississippi State W 82-76 (missed 14 FTs)
11/13 at Northwestern State W 80-74 (missed 10 FTs)
11/17 vs. #12/16 Texas A&M L 63-59 (missed 8 FTs)
11/20 vs. North Texas W 84-61 (missed 18 FTs)
11/23 at Creighton L 65-59 (missed 4 FTs)
11/30 vs. Kent State W 58-44 (missed 4 FTs)
12/1 vs. Prairie View A&M W 80-46 (missed 6 FTs)
12/4 vs. Washington L 66-65 (missed 10 FTs)
12/8 at Alabama L 51-49 (missed 5 FTs)
12/15 at Texas State W 75-70 (missed 12 FTs)
12/20 at Rice W 78-54 (missed 11 FTs)
12/28 vs. UCF W 69-67 (missed 10 FTs)
12/31 vs. USF L 77-72 (missed 18 FTs)
01/04 at Rutgers L 68-54 (missed 7 FTs)
01/07 at #1/1 UConn L 90-41 (missed 1 FT)
01/11 vs. Cincinnati L 59-57 (missed 7 FTs)
01/18 at Memphis L 48-46 (missed 6 FTs)
The Fast Track to Victory
Houston is 3-1 this season when it scores more fast break points than its opponent. The Cougars are also 4-0 when leading with under five minutes to play.
Filling the Void
Houston is still in the process of trying to experience life without Porcshe Landry, who graduated last year as the program's all-time assists leader (483), as well as the club's scoring leader from a year ago (16.6 ppg). While it's early, Houston may have found something in transfer guard Demetria Foreman, who collected a game-high eight assists in UH's season opener on Nov. 8 vs. Mississippi State. She still has a ways to go to catch up to Landry, but the eight assists were the most any Cougar not named Landry had collected since Roxana Button also recorded eight assists on Feb. 26, 2012 vs. UCF. She is currently averaging a team-best 2.4 assists per game.
RECYCLED NOTES
Sharing is Caring
Four of five Houston starters (Thompson, Campbell, Amerson, Foreman) scored in double figures and combined to score 57 of the Cougars' 67 total points (85%) on Dec. 20 at Rice. It was the first time Houston had boasted four or more double-digit scorers in a game since Jan. 24, 2013 vs. Southern Miss. Amerson and Campbell scored in double figures in that game as well.
Houston Signs Four Recruits for 2014-15
Houston brought in Fatima Adams, Moesha Kinard, Dejah Joshua, and Sandra Davis
Fatima Adams | Forward | 5-10 | Blinn Community College (Bryan, Texas)
Adams has averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in 35 games played at Blinn Junior College...so far through four games this season, she's racked up an average of 25 points per game, while shooting the ball at a 51.6 percent clip...she currently ranks in the top 50 among all active NJCAA members in six different categories: 11th in games played (35), 14th in games started (33), 41st in minutes played (845), 22nd in free throws made (127-167), 16th in offensive rebounds (131), and 18th in total rebounds (302)...she earned second-team all-district honors during the 2010-11 season and first-team all district accolades during the 2011-12 campaign while at Rudder High School...she helped lead Rudder High School to the third round of the playoffs in 2009-10 and the fourth round in 2011-12.
From coach Buchanan: "I think she's extremely athletic and her natural position is small forward. She can step out and hit the mid-range jump shot, which quite frankly is hard to find in today's world. She's a strong kid, really jumps out of the gym and has a knack for the basketball. She's going to bring tremendous effort and energy, not to mention she can really score the basketball."
Moesha Kinard | Guard/ Forward | 5-7 | New Iberia High School (New Iberia, La.)
Kinard is a four-year letterwinner at New Iberia High School...New Iberia High School was ranked as the No. 5 high school to watch in the state of Louisiana this season thanks to Kinard's 19.8 points per game average her junior year...Kinard played every position on the floor except center in high school.
From coach Buchanan: "You can't really classify her in a single position. She stays true to our core values and how we want to recruit, meaning we don't just recruit kids for one position; she can really play them all. She is so strong and psychical; it really allows her to play anywhere, but that small forward spot is probably where she fits best.
Dejah Joshua | Forward | 5-8 | West Side High School (Gary, Ind.)
Joshua averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game in her first season at West side High School, after transferring from Bowman Academy...while at Bowman Academy Joshua averaged 6.8 points, 1.2 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and a steal per game.
From coach Buchanan: "She still has her best basketball ahead of her. She really has a great bounce to her game. She's athletic, but she's also a very smart player. She's very versatile, where she can step back and knock down the three point shot or she can take a few steps in and hit the mid-range bucket too. She's very poised for a high school kid. That's what really jumps out at me. She's also very crafty with the basketball."
Sandra Davis | Forward | 6-1 | Garden City Community College (Odenton, MD)
Davis has posted two double-digit scoring performances in five games played so far this season for Garden City Community College...earned Co-Best All Around Player of the Year (JV Basketball - 2009-2010), was a member of the Maryland 4A State Championship Team (2010), named team MVP (2011-2012), Second Team All-County (2011-2012), and a member of the county All-Star Team (2011-2012) while at Arundel High School.
From coach Buchanan: "She brings a little bit of everything. She has great length and great size, standing at 6-foot-1. She's an incredibly intelligent basketball player. She brings that junior college experience that we need too. She's just a very well rounded player.
Breaking Down the 2013-14 Cougars
Fourth-year head coach Todd Buchanan and the Cougars return four starters and nine letterwinners overall from last season's squad that finished 13-17 overall and ninth in the final year of Conference USA with a 7-9 record.
The 2013-14 campaign truly marks a new era of Houston basketball, as the Cougars prepare for their first year in the new American Athletic Conference, in what arguably will be the toughest in all of college basketball.
While the Cougars will have deal with the loss of the program's all-time assists leader and the leading scorer from a year ago in Porsche Landry, Houston brings back 74 percent of last season's scoring total, including Conference USA All-Freshman team member Marche' Amerson.
Amerson ranked second on the team a year ago in scoring, averaging 9.1 points per contest and set a UH freshman record as she started in all 30 contests for the Cougars.
Senior center Yasmeen Thompson also returns for her senior year after establishing herself as formidable option down low last season, as she led Conference USA and ranked 10th all-time in program history in field goal percentage (.533), while chipping in 8.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest.
Cougars Tabbed 10th in American Media Poll
The University of Houston women's basketball team was picked to finish 10th in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference according to a vote of league coaches released by the conference office on Oct. 14.
The Cougars received 15 votes to finish just behind Temple, who was picked ninth with 25 points. Defending National Champion UConn was chosen as the unanimous favorite to win the league crown, as it received 81 overall points and nine of 10 first place votes.
Louisville, the 2013 national runner-up, was chosen to finish second, as it collected 73 points overall and received the lone remaining first place vote.
USF followed with 59 points, as it just edged out Rutgers for third place, who received a healthy 57 points.
In-state rival SMU was picked to finish fifth (50 points), while Memphis (32 points), Cincinnati (30 points), and UCF followed (28 points), earning the sixth, seventh, and eighth spots respectively.
Tourney Tested
The Cougars will face a schedule loaded with postseason participants from 2012-13, as they will play five NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago (Texas A&M, Creighton, Prairie View A&M, USF twice, UConn twice, and Louisville twice), as well as three WNIT teams from 2012-13 in Washington, Memphis (twice), and SMU (twice) for a total of 14 matchups against eight teams that saw some kind of postseason action last season.
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Houston boasts one of the more rigorous schedules in the nation, as the Cougars will go up against eight teams that are either ranked or have received votes in either the Associated Press or the USA Today Preseason Top 25 Coaches Polls. Three of those games come in the non-conference slate, as the Cougars host No. 16/ 13 Texas A&M (AP poll first), play at RV/ RV Creighton, and host RV/ NR Washington.
The other five ranked matchups come in American Conference play as Houston will take on RV/ RV USF, NR/ RV Rutgers, No. 1/ No. 1 UConn, No. 5/ No. 5 Louisville, and NR/ RV SMU for a total of 10 meetings, as the Cougars will play each school at home and away. If all eight teams were able to find their way into the top 25, the 13 ranked contests in a season would be the most in school history. The most ranked opponents the Cougars have ever played in a single season are nine during the 1978-79 campaign.
By the Numbers
Houston returns 74 percent of its 1,903 points scored, 87 percent of its rebounds, 74 percent of its field goals made, 78 percent of its three-pointers made, 78 percent of its free throws converted, 57 percent of its assists, and 77 percent of its steals from a season ago.
New Kids on the Block
The Cougars welcome in just two new faces to this year's squad in freshman guard Alexia Sanders and junior college transfer guard Demetria Foreman. Sanders comes to Houston from nearby College Park High School in The Woodlands, where she earned District 14-5A MVP honors her senior season after leading the team in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg), steals (4.1 spg), assists (2.7 apg), and blocks (1.0 bpg).
Foreman joins the Cougars after playing two seasons at Angelina Junior College, where she averaged 12.8 points and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 40 percent from the field last season. She was also named to the all-conference team and earned NJCAA All-Tournament team honors.
You Can't Teach Tall
This year's Cougar squad is one of the tallest in recent memory, as the team averages nearly six feet with nine players standing at 6-0 or taller. The Cougars ranked third in Conference USA in rebounding and blocked shots a year ago, averaging 41.6 boards and 3.6 swats per game.
Homegrown Talent
Ten of the 14 players on the roster call Texas home, while one is from Oklahoma, one is from California, one is from Pennsylvania, and one comes from British Columbia.
Proud to be an American
The Cougars are one of four teams (SMU, Memphis, and UCF) to make the jump from the old Conference USA to the new American Athletic Conference. The Cougars also join five other schools from what was the old BIG EAST conference (UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, Rutgers, and South Florida), and one school out of the old Atlantic-10 in Temple to make up the new league. The AAC is Houston's third conference in what will be the program's 39th season.
More of Marche'
Marche' Amerson earned a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 2012 after ranking second on the squad with 10.1 points in league play while shooting a team best 36-percent from beyond the arc in conference action. Amerson also set a freshman record starting in all 30 games last season, while finishing in the top 10 in six other Houston all-time freshman marks. Houston hopes to count on her to be one of the team's leaders on and off the court this season.
Getting 'Meen
Senior Yasmeen Thompson wreaked havoc in the paint for the Cougars in 2012 after transferring from Paris Junior College, as she led C-USA in field-goal percentage (53.3) while ranking sixth in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and placing second in the league with 1.4 blocks per game in conference play a year ago. Thompson led the nation in field-goal percentage through the opening seven contests of the season.
The Philadelphia, Pa., native, who earned C-USA Player of the Week honors on Nov. 26, pulled down a career-best 17 boards in back-to-back games against Alabama and Yale, and followed up with her first-career double-double performance with 21 points and 14 rebounds at McNeese State on Nov. 20, marking 48 rebounds over a span of three games.
Thompson earned NJCAA All-Conference Honorable Mention honors last season at Paris JC after averaging 8.1 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds per game. Thompson helped the squad to a 24-7 record while reaching a national ranking of No. 11, setting a school record.
