Cougars Host UTRGV in Final Non-Conference Game
12/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| HOUSTON COUGARS (4-6) vs. UTRGV VAQUEROS (6-6) | |
|---|---|
| BUY A SHASTA PASS | UHCougars.com/tickets |
| Date/Time | Sunday • 1 p.m. CT |
| Location | Hofheinz Pavilion • Houston, Texas |
| Live Video | UHCougars.com All-Access |
| Live Audio | UHCougars.com/wbbradio |
| Live Stats | |
| Series History | Houston leads, 3-0 |
| Game Notes | • Houston Notes • UTRGV Notes • The American Notes |
| Social Media |   |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston Women's Basketball team partakes in their final scheduled non-conference game of the 2015-16 season when they host UTRGV Sunday at Hofheinz Pavilion. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to get their picture taken with Shasta Claus prior to the game. Doors open one hour prior to tipoff, and Shasta Claus will be stationed at the Holman Street entrance of Hofheinz Pavilion. Also, fans who bring a toy to donate will receive special $4 admission to the game.
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 Fans who can't join Shasta Claus and the Cougars at Hofheinz on Sunday 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, 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 for UHCougars.com All-Access subscribers. | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO | | TWITTER
Houston (4-6) has won three of their last four games, including a 76-73 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Thursday night. It was Houston's third road win in as many tries, and Marche' Amerson led the way to victory with 18 points.
UTRGV (6-6) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 60-47 victory over Incarnate Word Thursday. Shawnte' Goff led the Vaqueros with 16 points.
 | THE STARTING FIVE |
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about Houston's game against UTRGV.
FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL- Houston plays their final non-conference game of the season Sunday when they host UTRGV. The Coogs will duplicate last season's 5-6 non-conference record with a win.
HAVE WE MET? - Indeed, the Coogs have met UTRGV three times before when the school was known as UT-Pan American. The Coogs hold a 3-0 series edge.
FRIENDLY CONFINES - After amassing a three-game road winning streak, Houston looks for their first home victory since Nov. 22 when they host UTRGV.
TWIN TOWERS - Houston got great production from both of their front line post players in their win over A&M-Corpus Christi. Tyler Gilbert accounted for 13 points and Jacqueline Blake had 10.
ALL ABOUT MOMENTUM - With a win Sunday, the Cougars will enter American Athletic Conference play with victories in four of their last five games.
| HOUSTON ONE-SHOTS |
Here's the one thing you need to know about each member of the Houston roster:
#1 - Chyanne Butler - Butler made her Houston debut Dec. 17 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, scoring four points.
#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 graduated with a B.S. in kinesiology Dec. 17. Later that night, she scored six points in Houston's win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
#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 63 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 eight 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 - With her next rejection, Gilbert will become the sixth player in Houston history to tally 100 career blocks.
#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 |
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 (10.2 ppg; 23rd overall) and rebounding (6.5 rpg; 13th).
The rookie 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. 17, 2015 • HOUSTON 76, TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 73 | Final Stats Houston's 28-14 third quarter explosion carried the Coogs to their third consecutive road victory.
The Cougars trailed at the half, 31-29, but used pressure defense and pinpoint shooting to blitz the Islanders in the third quarter and build a comfortable working margin. The Coogs outscored the home team in the third, 28-14, by knocking down 10-of-15 shots in the period.
Amerson drained four 3-pointers and led the Cougars with a season-high 18 points.
Gilbert scored a season-best 13 and Jacqueline Blake added 10. Blake grabbed a team-high six rebounds, and Serithia Hawkins led the way with four assists.
For the game, Houston shot a season-high 49.1 percent (27-for-55) from the field, which is also a Hughey era high.
The Cougars finished with seven blocked shots as a team. Gilbert and Sharayla Brown finished with two each.
UH forced A&M-Corpus Christi into 23 turnovers, which they converted into 22 points.
Butler made her Houston debut Dec. 17, scoring four points.
| SERIES vs. UTRGV |
Houston is 3-0 all-time against UTRGV (formerly UT-Pan American), including a 1-0 mark at Hofheinz Pavilion.
The Cougars last played UTRGV Dec. 3, 2005, a 63-55 victory in Manhattan, Kan. Jasmin Moore led the Coogs with 24 points in the win.
UTRGV's lone trip to Hofheinz came Feb. 25, 2000, a 92-38 Cougar win.
| THE COACHES |
Houston head coach Ronald Hughey is in his second season at Houston, with a career record of 10-30. He has never faced UTRGV.
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.
UTRGV head coach Larry Tidwell has a 167-103 record in his ninth season as a head coach, including a 39-37 record in his third year at UTRGV. Tidwell is 1-1 as a head coach against Houston, with both games coming during his six-year tenure as head coach at Lamar.
| SCOUTING THE VAQUEROS |
UTRGV has already played 12 games and enters their 13th contest with a record of 6-6.
The Vaqueros snapped a two-game losing streak with a 60-47 victory over Incarnate Word on Dec. 13.
Tidwell's team has struggled on the road this season, losing five of their seven games away from Edinburg.
Goff is UTRGV's top producer, averaging 14.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, while junior Mary Savoy averages 10.5 rebounds per game and has blocked 16 shots.
| KEY STATS FOR HOUSTON |
Houston's non-conference schedule remains one of the toughest in America. Through Dec. 18, the 10 teams Houston has already played sport a combined record of 57-36, 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 1.2 boards per game.
Defense continues to be the best side of the ball for the Cougars, who rank third in The American in points allowed per game (62.0).
| MARCHE'S MARCH TO 1,000 POINTS |
Amerson enters the UTRGV game with 937 career points and is just 63 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 99 career starts, seventh with 3,107 minutes and eighth with 91 made 3-point field goals and 303 3-point field goal attempts.
Smith is climbing the career 3-point record books, ranking sixth in made 3-pointers (126), fourth in attempts (504) and ninth in minutes (2,910). 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 99 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 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.
Houston's next home game is Saturday, Jan. 2 against Temple. The matchup tips off at 2 p.m. CT.
| $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--
