Stern Tests Await Cougars at Lone Star Showcase
11/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| HOUSTON (1-2) at the LONE STAR SHOWCASE | |
|---|---|
| BUY A SHASTA PASS | UHCougars.com/tickets |
| Thursday | Houston vs. No. 24/23 George Washington • 1:30 p.m. CT |
| Friday | Houston vs. Wright State • 11 a.m. CT |
| Saturday | Houston vs. No. 25/21 Iowa • 11 a.m. CT |
| Location | Cedar Park Center • Austin, Texas |
| Live Audio | UHCougars.com/wbbradio |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • George Washington Notes • Wright State Notes • Iowa Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |   |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston Women's Basketball team hits the road for the Thanksgiving holiday as they face three strong opponents at the Lone Star Showcase, to be held Nov. 26-28 at the Cedar Park Center in Austin, Texas. The Cougars face No. 24/23 George Washington Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CT. before ending the tournament against Wright State on Friday and No. 25/21 Iowa on Saturday. Each of Houston's final two games begins at 11 a.m. CT.
Fans wishing to join the Cougars in Austin can purchase ticket packages, which are available at CedarParkBasketball.com.
Houston, George Washington, Wright State and Iowa make up the Red Bracket at the inaugural Lone Star Showcase, while Creighton, East Carolina, Eastern Washington and Northwestern make up the Blue Bracket. The two sides will not intersect, and the teams with the best record in each bracket will be crowned Bracket Champions.
Fans who can't join the Cougars in Austin can follow the matchup through a variety of platforms. Free live audio is available at UHCougars.com/wbbradio, with Gerald Sanchez on the call. Also, live statistics will provide an up-to-the-second numerical breakdown, while the official Twitter account of Houston Women's Basketball, @UHCougarWBB, will post periodic updates. | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
The Houston Fan Experience Headquarters is proud to offer the Shasta Pass, the best way to see Houston's 11 remaining regular season home games. For only $50, fans who purchase a Shasta Pass will receive general admission entrance to all 12 home games left on the schedule, including the Jan. 8 game against defending national champion UConn. The Shasta Pass also grants entry to every home game on the 2016 Houston Softball schedule. | CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A SHASTA PASS | FULL SCHEDULE Houston is 1-2 and riding high after their first victory of the season, a 52-51 win over Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 22. Marche' Amerson hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1:53 left in the game, and the Cougars used stingy defense to make the lead stand. Serithia Hawkins scored a game-high 14 points and assisted on Amerson's winning basket.
No. 24/23 George Washington is 3-1 and earned a 61-53 victory at Fresno State in their last game, on Nov. 23. Jonquel Jones led the Colonels with 13 points and 13 rebounds in the victory.
Wright State is on a four-game winning streak, with a 4-1 overall record after dropping their opener to Miami (Fla.). The Raiders blitzed Southeastern Louisiana in their last contest, 106-72 on Nov. 23. Five WSU players scored in double-figures, and they topped 30 points in each of their last two quarters.
No. 25/21 Iowa is 4-0 and last played Nov. 22, an 81-65 road victory over Northern Iowa. Ally Disterhoft leads the Hawkeyes with 16.8 points per game.
 | THE STARTING FIVE |
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about Houston's weekend at the Lone Star Showcase.
THANKSGIVING ON THE ROAD - For the second time in as many years under Ronald Hughey, the Coogs will spend Thanksgiving together on the road. Last season, UH went 0-2 at the San Juan Shootout.
RANKED OPPONENTS - Two of Houston's opponents in Austin are ranked in the top-25, with George Washington [24/23] and Iowa [25/21] listed among the nation's top teams.
A CHANCE FOR HISTORY - Houston went 0-3 against ranked teams last season and has lost 13 straight against the top-25, with their last win coming Dec. 18, 2010 against No. 21 Nebraska, 78-70.
COMING OUT PARTY - Hawkins looks to build on a huge effort in the win over UL. She led UH with 14 points and eight boards plus assisted on Amerson's game-winning 3-pointer.
YOU CAN'T SCORE ON US - Houston is holding opponents to 51.0 points per game and 33.3 percent shooting through three games. Both numbers lead The American and rank in the top-45 nationally.
| HOUSTON ONE-SHOTS |
Here's the one thing you need to know about each member of the Houston roster:
#1 - Chyanne Butler - Butler will be eligible to play the second semester after transferring from USC in January 2015.
#2 - Jacqueline Blake - Blake made her first start in a Houston uniform vs. Long Beach State and scored four points.
#3 - Bianca Winslow - Winslow started the final 13 games of the 2014-15 season. During that stretch she led Houston with 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
#5 - Dionna Collins - A finalist for the 2014-15 WBCA Junior College Player of the Year award, Collins will redshirt in 2015-16 due to NCAA transfer requirements.
#10 - Cenecia Newman - Newman, the District 8-6A MVP as a prep senior, made her Houston debut Nov. 22 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette with a cameo at the end of the first half.
#12 - Brianne Coffman - Coffman will redshirt in 2015-16 due to NCAA transfer requirements. She spent her first two collegiate seasons at Oklahoma State.
#15 - Alecia Smith - Smith matched a career high with seven assists in the Nov. 22 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
#21 - Jessieka Palmer - Palmer tallied a pair of career highs in the College of Charleston game, with four assists and four blocks.
#22 - Marche' Amerson - Amerson, who needs 116 points to become the 23rd member of Houston's 1,000-point club, scored 10 points vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.
#23 - Serithia Hawkins - Hawkins had a memorable performance Nov. 22 in the Louisiana win, leading UH with 14 points and assisting on the game-winning field goal.
#24 - Mariah Mitchell - A deadly outside shooter in her freshman season, Mitchell drilled her first two 3-pointers of 2015-16 against Louisiana-Lafayette.
#25 - Kierra Graves - Coach Hughey named Graves the Team MVP of the TAMIU exhibition after she scored nine points and snagged four steals.
#32 - Sharayla Brown - Brown saw seven minutes of productive court time vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, tallying five rebounds and two blocks.
#33 - Tyler Gilbert - Gilbert ranks ninth in Houston history with 88 career blocked shots through three games this season.
#35 - Taylor Gilbert - Gilbert received a medical hardship redshirt due to career-ending knee injuries. She remains on scholarship and is an active part of team functions.
| LAST TIME OUT |
NOV. 22, 2015 • HOUSTON 52, LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE 51 | Final Stats Houston's defense carried the Cougars to their first victory of the season Nov. 22 against the visiting Ragin' Cajuns.
Amerson hit a 3-pointer at the 1:53 mark of the fourth quarter that made the score 52-51. Neither team scored again, and when UL's last-ditch 3-pointer missed the rim at the buzzer, Houston had their first win of the season.
Hawkins paced Houston with 14 points and eight rebounds. The Southmoore, Okla., native went 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from both the free throw line and 3-point range. The rookie has now led Houston in the scoring column in two of her three regular-season games.
Amerson scored 10 points, and fellow senior Smith matched a career high with seven assists.
Houston's trademark passion on defense lifted them to the victory. The Ragin' Cajuns came into the contest averaging 81.5 points per game but were held 30 points under their average and shot just 39.6 percent.
The Cougars dominated the glass, collecting 36 rebounds to Louisiana's 28.
| REGENTS APPROVE ARENA RENOVATIONS |
The University of Men's and Women's Basketball programs moved closer to a new competition home facility when school regents approved the start of the design process for the renovation of the Houston Basketball arena during its meeting Nov. 19.
Regents approved a project budget of up to $60 million with an anonymous donor pledging a $20 million gift to facilitate the arena's renovation.
Design work is scheduled to begin in March 2016 with construction starting one year later. Plans for the Cougars' home facility during the 2017-18 season have not been finalized and will be announced at a later date. The renovated facility is expected to be ready for game competition for the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
"This project has been long overdue, and we are grateful that Dr. Khator and our Board of Regents saw the need for this step with our basketball arena," Vice President for Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. "We look forward to starting the design process in the next few months and creating a facility that will provide the highest level of amenities to our fans and a significant home-court advantage for our Men's and Women's Basketball student-athletes."
Preliminary estimated capacity for the renovated arena will be reduced to 7,420 from its current seating bowl of 8,479. However, initial plans call for the court level to be raised three feet with fan seating moved closer to the court as part of an emphasis to improve the overall fan experience.
More than 2,000 premium seats will be developed to give fans the ultimate luxury seating options. That total includes a preliminary design of 1,750 club seats, 20 loge boxes with four seats in each, two open-air suites with 32 seats per unit and 90 courtside seats.
The arena's concourse level will be expanded to improve circulation with significant upgrades to the sound system, video board and arena seating.
| SERIES vs. LONE STAR SHOWCASE OPPONENTS |
Houston has never before faced George Washington or Wright State.
UH is 1-1 against Iowa and won the last meeting, 70-64, on Nov. 22, 2003 in Iowa City. Current WNBA standout Sancho Lyttle led the Coogs with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
The only other meeting between the Cougars and Hawkeyes came Dec. 29, 1993 in Los Angeles. Ranked No. 2 at the time, Iowa won the game, 59-44.
| THE COACHES |
Houston head coach Ronald Hughey is in his second season at Houston, with a career record of 7-26. This will be his first meeting against all three of Houston's Lone Star Showcase opponents.
Hughey accumulated a 163-154 (.514) career record in 10 seasons as an NCAA Division I assistant coach at South Carolina State, South Carolina, UCF, Rutgers, Texas and Florida State. He is a veteran of seven postseason tournaments (6 NCAA, 1 NIT) including two NCAA Second Rounds (2013, 2014), four NCAA First Rounds (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) and one WNIT Second Round (2008).
A vaunted recruiter, Hughey orchestrated multiple national top-15 recruiting classes at both Texas and Florida State. At Houston, he signed an eight-player recruiting class in 2014-15, including two NJCAA All-Americans and four players rated as 3-star recruits by ESPN Hoopgurlz.
Hughey brought five more highly regarded recruits into the Houston program in the early 2015 signing period. Included in the group is Lufkin, Texas, native Natasha Mack, the first ESPN Hoopgurlz national top-100 recruit of his head coaching tenure.
George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis was voted Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 2014-15 after leading his team to conference regular season and tournament titles. In his fourth season at GWU, Tsipis carries a 69-32 record.
Wright State's Mike Bradbury is 108-63 in his fifth season with the Raiders. Including three seasons at Morehead State, his career record as a head coach is 158-107.
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder is 308-174 in her 16th year with the Hawkeyes and 664-316 in her 32nd season as a collegiate head coach. She is one of 10 active NCAA Division I head coaches with 600 or more victories.
| SCOUTING THE COLONELS |
George Washington has used top-notch rebounding to build a 3-1 record. The Colonels last played Nov. 23, a 61-53 victory at Fresno State, and they are averaging 12.6 more rebounds per game than their opponents. They are ranked 24th in the AP top-25.
Caira Washington leads GWU with 15.8 points per game, and Jonquel Jones averages 15.0. GWU's lone loss came to No. 13/16 Stanford, 84-63 on Nov. 21, but Jones had a monster effort in defeat, with 27 points and 17 rebounds.
George Washington went 29-4 last season, including Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles.
| SCOUTING THE RAIDERS |
Wright State is 4-1 and on a four-game winning streak after dispatching of Southeastern Louisiana, 106-75, Nov. 23.
Kim Demmings leads WSU's high-octane attack, averaging 24.4 points per game, 11th-highest in the nation. As a team, the Raiders rank 32nd nationally with 83.0 points per game.
WSU posted a 25-9 mark last season. They fell to Green Bay in the Horizon League Tournament championship and dropped a WNIT first round game to Toledo.
| SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES |
Iowa is 4-0 and ranked 25th in the AP top-25 at the start of the week. The Hawkeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 last season and so far have beaten North Dakota, UT-Martin, Western Illinois and Northern Iowa by an average of 14.4 points per game.
Alexa Kastanek was 8-for-8 from the field and led Iowa with 22 points in the UNI win on Nov. 22, and for the season Ally Disterhoft averages a team-best 16.8 ppg.
| LOCKDOWN DEFENSE |
Houston is allowing 51.0 points per game, first in The American and 33rd nationally, while Houston's opponents are shooting just 33.3 percent, also best in the league and 44th in the nation.
The Cougars have also been a much improved team on the glass, where they are outrebounding their opponents by 4.7 boards per game.
| MARCHE'S MARCH TO 1,000 POINTS |
Amerson enters the Lone Star Showcase with 884 career points and is just 116 points shy of Houston's 1,000-point club. At her current career pace of 9.4 points per game, she's on pace to cross the threshold in her 15th appearance of the season.
When she accomplishes the feat, Amerson will be Houston's 23rd 1,000-point scorer. Current Atlanta Dream standout Sancho Lyttle (2003-05) occupies the 22nd spot, with 1,092 career points, while Ann Moon (1977-81) checks in at No. 21 with 1,094 points.
| MILESTONE WATCH |
Amerson isn't the only Cougar who is climbing the Cougar record books in 2015-16, and her journey to 1,000 points isn't the only number to monitor this season. The senior from Bryan, Texas, enters the Lone Star Showcase fifth in Houston history with 93 career starts, eighth with 2,924 career minutes, eighth with 273 3-point field goal attempts, and 11th with 78 made 3-point field goals.
Smith is climbing the career 3-point record books, ranking seventh in made 3-pointers (117) and fourth in attempts (470). She is currently listed just outside the school's top-10 in minutes (2,688).
Gilbert's shot-blocking explosion from last season vaulted her high on Houston's blocked shots charts. She is currently ranked ninth in school history with 88 rejections and will match Lesslee Mason (2009-11) with five more blocks.
| GUY V. LEWIS BASKETBALL CENTER UPDATE |
Live Webcam
The Houston Women's Basketball held their first full practice in the brand new Guy V. Lewis Basketball Center on Nov. 24, and they will move into the full facility in just a few short days. Once completed, the $25 million facility will be the home base for both Cougar hoops squads.
Designed by DLR Group and Page, the new Development Center is located adjacent to Hofheinz Pavilion at the corner of Cullen Boulevard and Holman Street on the UH campus.
The 53,000 square-foot facility will provide the environment that the Houston Men's and Women's Basketball student-athletes need to excel throughout the season in all areas. The first level will house a dedicated practice court for each team as well as sports performance and sports medicine areas, which will be used by both programs.
The second level will feature the teams' areas, which include locker rooms and academic/film theaters. The team rooms contain spacious, modern lockers, multiple video screens for television and comfortable furniture. The third level will hold office space for both Men's and Women's Basketball coaching and support staffs.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
Houston returns to Hofheinz Pavilion Dec. 12, when they take on UNLV. Tickets are available at UHCougars.com/tickets as the Cougars and Runnin' Rebels share the court for the first time since Dec. 22, 1994, a 77-64 Houston victory.
| $50 SHASTA PASS NOW AVAILABLE |
The Houston Fan Experience Headquarters is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2015-16 athletic season. For only $50, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all remaining Houston Women's Basketball and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial savings as single-game tickets start at $8 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, CLICK HERE.
| 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.
--UHCougars.com--
