University of Houston
5-7 (0-1AAC)
UCF
5-7 (1-0AAC)
Cougars Fall to UCF in American Opener
12/27/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team fell to UCF, 64-50, on Saturday afternoon in the American Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Both squads are now 5-7 overall.
The Cougars held a 29-26 lead at halftime and were ahead for much of the second half before the Knights caught fire. UCF shot 53.3% in the second half and made 15 of their final 22 field goal attempts.
Marche' Amerson led the Cougars with 10 points in the game.
THE BASICS
Score: UCF 64, Houston 50
Records: UCF 5-7 (1-0 American), Houston 5-7 (0-1 American)
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2014
Location: Houston, Texas (Hofheinz Pavilion)
TURNING POINT
Down 35-30, UCF hit five straight shots and scored 13 unanswered points to take a 43-35 lead with 10:41 left. Aliyah Gregory capped the run with a three-pointer, and UCF never trailed again.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Amerson was the lone Cougar in double-figures, but not the only one to have a good statistical effort. Tyler Gilbert led Houston with eight rebounds and Alecia Smith dished a career-best seven assists.
UCF: Yanique Gordon came off the bench to lead all players with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Fifi Ndour added 10 points and 13 boards.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Houston trailed by as many as eight points, at 16-8, with 10:05 left in the first half, but they immediately scored seven straight points to get within striking distance.
- After trailing for nearly 15 minutes, Jessieka Palmer gave the lead back to Houston, 22-20, with a pair of free throws at the 3:25 mark.
- A deep Alecia Smith three-pointer at the buzzer pushed the Cougars to a 29-26 halftime advantage.
- Houston led the game for 10:47 before the Knights moved ahead for good with 13:34 left on the clock.
- The Cougars shot 31.0% (18-for-58), while UCF finished at 43.3% (26-for-60).
- Terran Alford added seven points and four rebounds off the bench, and Palmer also scored seven points.
NEWS & NOTES
- Smith's halftime shot was the third period-ending three-point buzzer beater of the season for Houston.
- Bianca Winslow drained a pair of three-pointers and now has five trifectas in her last three games.
- Tyler Gilbert's incredible blocked shots streak ended on Saturday. The freshman had blocked at least one shot in the season's first 11 games.
- Freshman Mariah Mitchell made her first career start on Saturday and came up with six points and six rebounds.
- Smith has now led Houston in assists in eight straight games.
- UCF is now 8-5 all-time against the Cougars.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Houston will play their American road opener on Tuesday, December 30 against Tulane. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm CT in New Orleans. Video coverage is available on the American Digital Network.
The Cougars return home on Wednesday, January 7 to host Cincinnati. The game starts at 7 pm CT inside of Hofheinz Pavilion, and tickets are available for just $8. | TICKETS
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--
