University of Houston
5-5
Nicholls State
3-6
Balanced Effort Leads Houston over Nicholls, 65-47
12/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas- The University of Houston women's basketball team put together a dominant performance from start to finish as the Cougars took down Nicholls, 65-47, on day two of the Athletes in Action Classic. The win evens Houston's record at 5-5.
"We challenged our players to take great energy to the court right from the beginning, and they did that," said Houston head coach Ronald Hughey. "We brought tremendous focus and intensity into today's game, and because of that, we were able to take care of business."
After earning their first four victories by a combined total of 10 points, Houston (5-5) put away Nicholls early in the second half for their most lopsided win of the season. The Cougars led by as many as 26 points before finishing with an 18-point victory.
Hughey continues to lead the Cougars to a resurgent season in his first campaign as head coach. The win was the fifth of the year for the Cougars, a mark they did not reach until February 8 of last season, in their 23rd game. The Cougars have not been 5-5 or better through 10 games since the 2010-11 Conference USA Championship season.
Mariah Mitchell paced the Cougars with a career-high 15 points as Houston continued to demonstrate incredible depth and balance. The freshman is the fifth different player to lead UH in scoring in the team's last five games.
 | THE BASICS |
Score: Houston 65, Nicholls 47
Records: Houston 5-5, Nicholls 3-6
Date: Saturday, December 20, 2014
Location: Lubbock, Texas (United Supermarkets Arena)
Tournament: Athletes in Action Classic - Game #3
| TURNING POINT |
After Nicholls cut Houston's advantage to just eight points in the second half, the Cougars exploded with a season-high 18-0 run over the next 5:04. Sandra Davis capped the spurt with a free throw that gave Houston a 52-26 lead with 10:41 left in the game, and the rout was on for the Cougars.
| TOP PERFORMERS |
Houston: Mitchell's career-best 15 points gave the freshman her second game in as many nights with a personal high. Marche' Amerson added 10 points and Jessieka Palmer grabbed seven rebounds in the total team effort.
Nicholls: Jenny Nash led all scorers with 18 points, including five three-pointers.
| INSIDE THE BOX SCORE |
- Houston trailed early in the first half before buckling down defensively and mounting a 9-0 run. The Cougars held Nicholls scoreless for 5:09 and took an 18-11 advantage on a DeJah Joshua jumper at the 7:45 mark of the half.
- Once they grabbed the lead on a Mitchell three-pointer with 10:15 remaining in the opening half, Houston never trailed again.
- The Cougars built their first 20-point lead of the season with 11:25 left in the game, as a Mitchell layup made the score 47-26.
- Houston held Nicholls to 24.6% (15-for-61) shooting, the lowest mark of the season by a Cougar opponent.
- The Cougars continue to improve rapidly at the free throw line. Houston finished the game 19-for-22 as a club, setting a season high with the 86.4% clip.
- Ten different Cougars played at least 10 minutes in the win, with no player logging more than 22 minutes on the court.
- Mitchell was 4-for-7 from the floor, 2-for-3 from three-point territory and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. The freshman has hit four three-pointers in the last two games after converting one total in the team's first eight contests.
| NEWS AND NOTES |
- Mitchell is the first Houston freshman to lead the Cougars in scoring since February 24, 2013, when Alecia Smith scored a team-high 18 points in a 65-58 win over SMU.
- The freshman is the fifth different player to lead Houston in scoring this season.
- It did not take long for Tyler Gilbert to extend her blocked shot streak, as she tallied a thunderous rejection just 1:16 into the game. The junior has now recorded at least one block in all 10 games this season.
- Gilbert finished with two blocks, her seventh multi-block game of the season.
- The victory was the largest for the Cougars since a 74-46 win over Prairie View A&M on December 1, 2013.
- Davis and Joshua each scored five points to set career highs. Joshua also snagged a career-best three steals.
- Palmer has now led Houston in rebounding three times this season.
- Amerson has scored in double-figures in four straight games and 34 times for her career.
- The victory is the second of the season for the Cougars over a Southland Conference opponent.
- Houston is now 2-0 all-time against Nicholls, including a win in 1980.
- The Cougars are 2-0 at the Athletes in Action Classic, including a 56-53 win over UTSA on Friday.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
Houston finishes the Athletes in Action Classic on Sunday, when they face host Texas Tech. Tipoff is at 2 pm CT and live video coverage is available through TexasTech.TV.
"When you have an opportunity to play a Big 12 team on their home floor, it's a chance to make a big statement," said Hughey. "Beating two good teams in Nicholls and UTSA has given us lots of confidence, so we're looking forward to tomorrow's game. We are going to bring everything that we've got and hope to get the job done."
Houston's next home game is also their American Athletic Conference opener, on Saturday, December 27 vs. UCF. Tipoff at Hofheinz Pavilion is scheduled for 2 pm CT, and live video coverage is available on the American Digital Network.
Houston will host Shasta's Kids Day in conjunction with the UCF game on December 27 at Hofheinz Pavilion. All kids ages 13 and under will receive a free pom pom, schedule poster and autograph card, and the Cougars will sign autographs on the Hofheinz concourse after the game. Kids Club members will also receive a free drawstring backpack and will form a tunnel to welcome the Cougars back to the court at the start of the second half.
Single-game tickets start at just $8. Tickets are available online or by visiting the Athletics Ticket Stadium Office, located on the northeast corner of TDECU Stadium.
| BUY SEASON TICKETS |
Fans can purchase season tickets for the 2014-15 women's basketball season by clicking here and visiting the official Athletics Ticket Office Page at UHCougars.com. Season tickets start at just $99.
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.
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.
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
--UHCougars.com--
