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University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Host ECU on Salute to Service Day
1/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| HOUSTON (6-9 • 1-3 American) vs. EAST CAROLINA (9-6 • 0-4 American) | |
|---|---|
| Tickets | BUY Tickets • Tickets Info |
| Questions? | Fan Guide |
| Time | 2 pm CT |
| Location | Hofheinz Pavilion (8,479) • Houston, Texas |
| Video | UHCougars.com All-Access |
| Radio | UHCougars.com Jeremy Branham, PxP |
| Live Stats | |
| Series History | • Houston leads, 9-3 |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • East Carolina Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |   |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team is back at Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, when they host East Carolina University. Game time is scheduled for 2 pm CT.
Saturday's game is part of Salute to Service Day at Hofheinz Pavilion. Servicemen and women, veterans and first responders will receive admission to the game for just $5, and the Cougars will honor several veterans throughout the game. Also, the first 250 fans through the door will receive a free Cougar rally towel and a free miniature American flag.
Single-game tickets start at just $8 for Saturday's game. | TICKETS
Fans who can't make it to Hofheinz on Saturday can watch a live video broadcast of the game on UHCougars.com All-Access. Also, a free live audio broadcast is available through Houston's Stretch Internet Portal, with Jeremy Branham on the play-by-play call. Live Twitter updates can be accessed throughout the game by following the official UH women's basketball account, @UHCougarWBB.
Houston is 6-9 (1-3 American) after falling to Cincinnati, 76-73, in double overtime on Wednesday. Jessieka Palmer led Houston with her second straight double-double, putting up 19 points and a career-best 14 rebounds.
East Carolina is 9-6 (0-4 American) and lost a home game to Tulane on Wednesday night, 76-63. I'Tiana Taylor led the Pirates with 23 points and 19 rebounds.
Houston is 9-3 all-time against East Carolina, including eight straight wins from 2002-09.
 | LAST TIME OUT |
JANUARY 7 • CINCINNATI 76, HOUSTON 73 • 2OT • Final Stats | Postgame Press Conference | Photo Gallery Houston fell in double overtime to Cincinnati, 76-73, on January 7.
The Cougars held an eight-point lead in regulation and a five-point lead in the first overtime, though the Bearcats were able to rally both times.
Palmer had a second straight monster effort, collecting 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Tyler Gilbert chipped in 14 points and blocked six shots. Both players fouled out in the first overtime, however, leaving Houston shorthanded for the final five minutes.
Moesha Kinard had the best game of her young career against Cincinnati. The freshman went 4-for-4 from both the field and the free throw line to finish with a career-high 13 points.
Junior Alecia Smith played 46 minutes against the Bearcats and matched her career high with seven assists.
| THE SMU VICTORY |
JANUARY 3 • HOUSTON 63, SMU 45 | Final Stats Houston earned its first American Athletic Conference victory of the season with a 63-45 win over SMU on Jan. 3. Despite trailing by as many as 11 points, Houston overwhelmed SMU in the second half. The Cougars ended the game on a 34-7 run and shot 60.7 percent after halftime.
UH posted a 16-2 run early in the second to take their first lead. The Coogs grabbed the advantage, 43-40, on an Smith 3-pointer with 11:15 left and added to the margin one possession later. After SMU scored a basket, Houston answered with the next 11 points to take control for good.
In the second half, Houston outscored the home team by a 43-18 margin.
Houston also matched or exceeded season highs in points in a half (43), field goals (27), offensive rebounds (17), assists (16), steals (11) and blocks (8).
Gilbert led the Cougars with a career-best 18 points in the win. The junior finished one rebound short of a double-double, with nine, and she matched her career high with three blocked shots.
Palmer added 16 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was the first of her collegiate career, and she also snatched six offensive rebounds, the most by a UH player in 2014-15.
| COUGARS IN THE AMERICAN RANKINGS |
Several Cougars are among the top statistical performers in the American Athletic Conference through Jan. 9.
Smith continues to dish assists at an incredible pace, and she's led Houston in the category in 11 straight games. The junior ranks fourth in the league, at 4.3 assists per game, and she also ranks seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.3) and tied for 13th in steals per game (1.7)
In American contests, Smith is averaging 6.0 assists per game, which ranks tops in the conference.
Palmer is ranked 24th in the conference and leads the Cougars with 10.3 points per game.
Gilbert is fourth in The American with 2.1 blocks per game after swatting six shots against Cincinnati. The Missouri City native is Houston's top scorer in American games, at 10.8 points per game, a mark that ranks 22nd in the conference.
Marche' Amerson ranks seventh in The American with a deadly 40.5% 3-point field goal percentage. In conference games, the Bryan native averages 2.8 steals per game, third in the league.
| THE HUGHEY DIFFERENCE |
New head coach Ronald Hughey earned his first American Athletic Conference victory on Jan. 3 with a 63-45 trouncing of SMU. The victory was the sixth of the season for Houston.
Last season, Houston did not earn their first American win until Feb. 9 against Cincinnati, and they didn't reach six total wins until the American Championship First Round victory over Memphis on March 7, in their 30th contest.
Statistically, the Cougars have seen marked improvements in scoring offense, scoring defense, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage, assists, steals and blocks under Hughey.
| HOME SWEET ROAD |
In the first season of the Hughey Era, the Cougars have repeatedly demonstrated their toughness by winning difficult games away from Hofheinz Pavilion. Through Jan. 9, Houston has already won five games away from their home court, including their first American win on Jan. 3 at SMU.
The road success is another example of the improvements under Hughey. Houston won just three games away from home in 2013-14.
Houston opened the Hughey Era with a 46-42 road victory over North Texas on Nov. 14 in Denton, and they overcame a raucous on-campus environment to defeat Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 68-66, on Nov. 21.
The Cougars also won two neutral site games at the Athletes in Action Classic in Lubbock. Houston took down UTSA, 56-53, on Dec. 19, and one day later they chalked up an 18-point victory with a 65-47 drubbing of Nicholls State.
| 2014-15 AWARDS TALLY |
Two Cougars have already earned spots on the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll this season. Palmer was honored on Nov. 24 after scoring a career-high 20 points in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Mitchell took home the award on Dec. 22 after scoring 15 points in the Nicholls State victory.
Mitchell and Amerson were both honored with spots on the Athletes in Action All-Tournament Team for their play at the event. Both players averaged 8.0 points per game at the tournament, leading the Cougars to a 2-1 record.
| SERIES HISTORY vs. EAST CAROLINA |
Houston is 9-3 all-time against East Carolina and won the first eight meetings between the programs.
The two squads last met on Feb. 7, 2013, with East Carolina taking a 68-59 win at Hofheinz Pavilion. Amerson led current Houston players with 11 points, while Gilbert added four points and a pair of rebounds. | Final Stats Houston's last victory over the Pirates was a 77-60 drubbing on Feb. 13, 2011 at Hofheinz Pavilion. The ESPN2-televised victory was the 20th of the season for the Cougars on their way to the 2010-11 Conference USA championship. Brittney Scott led the Cougars with 20 points and Lesslee Mason chipped in 12 points and 11 rebounds. | Final Stats
| SCOUTING THE PIRATES |
East Carolina enters Saturday's contest at 9-6 (0-4 American). They have lost four consecutive games, all of them in league play. The Pirates are coming off of a 76-63 loss to Tulane on Wednesday night. | Final Stats
ECU has also dropped conference contests to USF (69-62, Dec. 28), UConn (89-38, Dec. 31) and Memphis (60-57 OT, Jan. 4)
Jada Payne leads East Carolina in scoring, at 16.9 points per game, while Taylor averages 11.5 points and a team-best 9.8 rebounds.
Taylor had a monster effort in East Carolina's loss to Tulane on Wednesday evening, finishing with 23 points and 19 rebounds.
| QUICK HITS |
- Tulane is the only common opponent so far that Houston and East Carolina share. The Cougars fell to the Green Wave, 70-40, on Dec. 30.
- American opponents are shooting just 16.7 percent (9-for-54) from 3-point range against Houston, worst in the league.
- Freshman Mariah Mitchell set a career high with four steals against Cincinnati.
- Smith (46), Mitchell (45) and Amerson (44) all played over 40 minutes against Cincinnati, while Palmer set a career high with 39 minutes on the court.
- Senior Demetria Foreman made her season debut against Cincinnati and scored six points.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
The Cougars return to the court on Saturday, Jan. 17 to face Tulsa. The road contest begins at 2 pm CT at the Donald W. Reynolds Center in Tulsa.
Houston's next home game is Wednesday, Jan. 21 against USF, with tipoff scheduled for 7 pm CT. Single-game tickets are available for only $8, and live video coverage is available through the American Digital Network. | TICKETS
| STAY CONNECTED |
Fans can receive daily information and in-game updates by following @UHCougarWBB on Twitter. Fans can also catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at facebook.com/UHCougarWBB
| 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.
--UHCougars.com--
