University of Houston
2-1
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
0-2
Houston Outlasts Islanders, 68-66, in Friday Thriller
11/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The University of Houston women's basketball team showed tremendous heart on Friday night as they made multiple comebacks to down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 68-66, at the Dugan Wellness Center. The Cougars are now 2-1 overall and 2-0 on the road.
"In the huddle late in the game, I challenged the team to think about why they were playing," said head Coach Ronald Hughey. "We play for the people that are important to us, inside of the team and out, and I think that motivation was a big part of our success tonight, especially down the stretch."
Hughey used the three days that Houston had in between games to implement a successful new mindset when his team possessed the ball.
"I also asked the team to dig deep and be patient; don't take the first shot, but take the best shot," Hughey added. "We talked a lot about shot selection over the past couple days, and that paid off tonight."
THE BASICS
Score: Houston 68, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 66
Records: Houston 2-1, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 0-2
Date: Friday, November 21, 2014
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas (Dugan Wellness Center)
TURNING POINT
Just seconds after the Islanders had claimed the lead, Terran Alford put the Cougars back ahead, 63-62, with 1:40 left in the game after a beautiful dish from Marche' Amerson. Houston led for the remainder of the game.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Jessieka Palmer took her game to the next level on Friday night, scoring a season-high 20 points, including 16 points in the second half. Amerson added 14, while Alecia Smith chipped in 10 points and six assists.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: Olivia Fouty led the Islanders with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Shay Weaver added 15 points.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Friday's game was the best offensive performance of the season for the Cougars, as Hughey's team continued to show great improvement. The Cougars set season highs for points in a game (68), points in a half (36 in the second) and field goal percentage (45.0%).
- Houston faced their deepest deficit with 18:31 left in the game, when they fell behind, 39-34. It took just over three minutes for the Cougars to fight back and tie the game on a pair of Smith free throws.
- Palmer took control down the stretch, scoring 12 of Houston's final 17 points.
- Amerson and Alford led the Cougars with five rebounds each.
- Alexia Sanders set a career high with two blocked shots.
- Houston took incredible care of the basketball, committing just nine turnovers while dishing 16 assists.
NEWS & NOTES
- Houston is now 6-1 all-time against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
- Smith is the lone Cougar to score in double-figures in all three games this season.
- Palmer's 20-point effort was the first for Houston in 2014-15. She averaged a team-high 16.0 points per game for the week.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Houston will compete in the San Juan Shootout on Thanksgiving weekend. The Cougars will face Idaho State on Friday, November 28 and James Madison on Saturday, November 29. Both games begin at 4 pm CT.
The next home game for Hughey's club is Wednesday, December 3, when Houston hosts Rice University at 7 pm.
--UHCougars.com--
BUY SEASON TICKETS
Fans can take the first step toward the 2014-15 Houston Women's Basketball season by placing deposits with the Athletics Ticket Office at UHCougars.com or by clicking here . The deposit is not a fee and will go toward the cost of season tickets.
Under Hughey's leadership, the Cougars will play 11 contests against teams who qualified for NCAA postseason play a year ago with eight of those against American Athletic Conference rivals.
To purchase tickets in person, fans can visit the Athletics Ticket Stadium Office located on the northeast corner of TDECU Stadium, just outside of Gate 1 off Cullen Boulevard. Parking is available in the TDECU Stadium parking garage with the first 30 minutes free of charge. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m., to 5:30 p.m.
All UH main campus students are admitted FREE to regular-season Women's Basketball home games with a valid student ID.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter. Also, fans can catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's official Facebook page at facebook.com/UHCougarWBB
