Houston Heads South to Battle Islanders
12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| HOUSTON COUGARS (3-6) vs. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI ISLANDERS (3-4) | |
|---|---|
| BUY A SHASTA PASS | UHCougars.com/tickets |
| Date/Time | Thursday • 7 p.m. CT |
| Location | Dugan Wellness Center • Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Live Video | GoIslanders.com |
| Live Audio | UHCougars.com/wbbradio |
| Live Stats | GoIslanders.com |
| Series History | Houston leads, 5-1 |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • A&M-Corpus Christi Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |   |
HOUSTON - With non-conference play rapidly coming to a close, the University of Houston Women's Basketball team heads south in search of a victory when they face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Thursday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at the Dugan Wellness Center.
Fans who can't join the Cougars in Corpus Christi Thursday can follow the game through a variety of outlets. Free live audio is available at UHCougars.com/wbbradio, with Jeremy Branham 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. Last but not least, live video is available at GoIslanders.com. | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
The Houston Fan Experience Headquarters is proud to offer the Shasta Pass, the best way to see Houston's 10 remaining regular season home games. For only $50, fans who purchase a Shasta Pass will receive general admission entrance to all 10 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 fell to UNLV in their last game, 63-60 on Dec. 12 at Hofheinz Pavilion. The Cougars were led by 16 points from Jessieka Palmer, while Kierra Graves checked in with 10. Despite the loss, the Cougars (3-6) do enter Thursday's game with a two-game road winning streak.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-4) is also coming off a loss to UNLV, 65-51 on Dec. 14. The Islanders were outscored in the fourth quarter, 19-6, on the way to their second straight loss. Brittany Mbamalu led the Islanders with 17 points in the setback.
 | THE STARTING FIVE |
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about Houston's game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
START A NEW STREAK - Houston was denied a chance to push their winning streak to three games when they fell to UNLV, 63-60, Dec. 12. Thursday's game is a chance to start a new streak for UH.
REMATCH OF A CLASSIC - Last season, Houston and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi played a thriller at the Island Campus, with the Coogs winning, 68-66. The game featured six ties and 10 lead changes.
SOUTHLAND MASTERY - The Cougars have won three consecutive games over Southland Conference opponents and are aiming for a fourth on Thursday.
NOT FAZED ON THE ROAD - UH has won two straight road games, 62-59 over Rice and 67-51 over Incarnate Word. A win Thursday gives UH their first three-game road streak since 2011.
SENIOR EMERGES - Senior Jessieka Palmer will look to carry momentum from her 16-point effort vs. UNLV. Prior to the outburst, Palmer had scored in single-digits in four straight games.
| 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 make her Houston debut when the Cougars face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
#2 - Jacqueline Blake - Blake exploded for her first career double-double Dec. 7 at Incarnate Word, with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
#3 - Bianca Winslow - Winslow returned from a seven-game injury absence on Dec. 12 vs. UNLV and led the Cougars with four assists.
#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 was instant offense at the Lone Star Showcase, scoring 12 points in just 20 minutes of court time.
#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 erupted for six 3-pointers and a career-best 25 points against No. 24/23 George Washington on Nov. 26.
#22 - Marche' Amerson - Amerson needs 81 points to become the 23rd member of Houston's 1,000-point club.
#23 - Serithia Hawkins - Hawkins leads all American Athletic Conference freshmen in scoring and rebounding and was named to the league's Weekly Honor Roll Dec. 14.
#24 - Mariah Mitchell - Mitchell has connected on at least one 3-point field goal in six of her last seven games.
#25 - Kierra Graves - Graves had her first double-digit scoring effort as a Cougar with 12 points in the Incarnate Word victory and followed it up with 10 points vs. UNLV.
#32 - Sharayla Brown - Brown scored the first four points of her collegiate career Nov. 26 against No. 24/23 George Washington and made her first start Dec. 5 at Rice.
#33 - Tyler Gilbert - Gilbert moved into sixth place in Houston history with her 97th career block, which came Dec. 12 vs. UNLV.
#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.
| HAWKINS COLLECTS LONG-AWAITED LAURELS |
Freshman Serithia Hawkins had her double-figures scoring streak snapped at four games with a seven-point effort vs. UNLV, but she still ranks as the best rookie in The American. The Moore, Okla., native leads all freshman from The American in scoring (10.7 ppg; 23rd overall), rebounding (6.8 rpg; 11th) and 3-point field goal percentage (42.9 percent; 5th)
Hawkins led all American Athletic Conference freshman in scoring from Dec. 7-13 and was named to the league's Honor Roll on Dec. 14.
| LAST TIME OUT |
DEC. 12, 2015 • UNLV 63, HOUSTON 60 | Final Stats Houston took a 12-point lead early in the second quarter but could not hold off the Lady Rebels.
The Cougars took the lead in the first quarter and were ahead for 26:46 before UNLV's Amie Callaway drained a 3-pointer with 7:25 left in the fourth, giving the Lady Rebels a 51-49 lead.
Houston would never lead again, and when a UNLV layup with 46 seconds left broke a 58-all tie, the Lady Rebels had an advantage they would not relinquish.
Palmer finished 5-for-13 shooting and led the Cougars with 16 points. It was the second time this season she has paced the team in scoring.
Graves added 10 points, her second straight double-figures scoring effort.
The Cougars dominated the bench points category; Houston reserves accounted for 36 points, while UNLV bench players scored zero.
After going without a block in Houston's last two games, Gilbert tallied three rejections in the UNLV game, and now has 97 for her career, good for sixth in Houston program history.
| SERIES vs. TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI |
Houston is 5-1 all-time against the Islanders, with a 2-1 mark in Corpus Christi.
The Cougars won a back-and-forth tilt last season, 68-66, behind 20 points from Palmer. Then a junior, Palmer scored 16 points after halftime, including 12 of Houston's final 17 points.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's lone victory in the series came Dec. 28, 2009, an 81-76 win in Corpus Christi.
| THE COACHES |
Houston head coach Ronald Hughey is in his second season at Houston, with a career record of 9-30. He is 1-0 in his career against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
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.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Royce Chadwick is 602-357 in his 32nd overall season as a collegiate head coach, including stops at Marshall, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State, Oklahoma Panhandle State and Howard Junior College. In his fourth season with the Islanders, he carries a record of 41-55.
Chadwick is 8-4 in his head coaching career against Houston, including a 3-0 mark as head coach at Stephen F. Austin and a 5-3 record while at Marshall.
| SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 3-4 and also lost to UNLV in their last game, 65-51, on Dec. 14. The Islanders were outscored in the fourth quarter, 19-6.
All seven of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's games have been at home, including wins over Rice, Western New Mexico and UTRGV.
Mbamalu, a Houston native, led the Islanders with 17 points in the UNLV loss and paces the team overall with 11.3 points per game. A deadly outside shooter, Mbamalu has drained 23 3-pointers in seven games at a 38.3 percent clip.
Outside of Mbamalu's deep threat, the Islanders struggle offensively, shooting 33.6 percent.
| KEY STATS FOR HOUSTON |
Houston's non-conference schedule remains one of the toughest in America. Through Dec. 15, the nine teams Houston has already played sport a combined record of 51-29, with seven of the nine ranking in the top-125 of the RPI.
After ranking at the bottom of The American in rebounding last season, the Cougars are starting to assert themselves on the glass. UH is outrebounding their opponents by 0.8 boards per game.
Defense continues to be the best side of the ball for the Cougars, who rank second in The American in points allowed per game (60.8) and fourth in defensive field goal percentage (38.6 percent).
| MARCHE'S MARCH TO 1,000 POINTS |
Amerson enters the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi game with 919 career points and is just 81 points shy of Houston's 1,000-point club. At her current career pace of 9.2 points per game, she's on pace to cross the threshold Jan. 20, when the Cougars face Tulsa.
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 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi game fifth in Houston history with 98 career starts, seventh with 3,078 minutes and eighth with 87 made 3-point field goals and 297 3-point field goal attempts.
Smith is climbing the career 3-point record books, ranking sixth in made 3-pointers (126), fourth in attempts (503) and ninth in minutes (2,889). With three more 3-pointers, she will match Tye Jackson (2005-09) for fifth in Houston history in the category.
Gilbert climbed two spots on the Houston career shot-blocking charts with her three rejections in the UNLV game. She is now ranked sixth in school history with 97 blocks, and she's chasing Toni Mooney, who finished her career with 122 blocks, for fifth place.
| 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.
| 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 |
The Coogs return to Hofheinz Pavilion Dec. 20 to host UTRGV in the team's non-conference finale. Tickets are available at UHCougars.com/tickets as Houston aims for their fourth victory in as many tries against the school formerly known as UT-Pan American.
The 2015-16 American Athletic Conference schedule begins Dec. 30, with a road game at Tulane. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be carried live on the American Digital Network.
| $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--
