University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Learn Full American Schedule
9/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
FULL SCHEDULE
PROVIDENCE, R.I. â€" The University of Houston Women's Basketball team learned its full 2015-16 American Athletic Conference schedule Wednesday, completing the team's calendar for the coming season. Head Coach Ronald Hughey's team will play 18 league games, including nine at home. Overall, the schedule has 29 regular season games and one exhibition with 14 of the contests booked for Hofheinz Pavilion.
"Our team is excited to face the challenge of the American Athletic Conference schedule," Hughey said. "This conference features the best team in women's college basketball and collectively is one of the best in the nation. I encourage our fans to purchase a Shasta Pass and join our team as we host a strong group of opponents that will test us every time we hit the floor."
Fans can see all 14 of Houston's home dates, as well as every home Volleyball, Soccer and Softball game, by purchasing a Shasta Pass. The Shasta Pass costs only $50 and is available now. To purchase a Shasta Pass, CLICK HERE.
In addition, Cougar fans who purchase Reserved 1 season tickets for Houston Men's Basketball games will receive an equal number of Women's Basketball season tickets for FREE. | MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
The American schedule begins Wednesday, Dec. 30, as the Cougars travel to New Orleans for a matchup with Tulane. The Green Wave hold a 22-13 edge in the all-time series between the teams and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15.
The home conference opener is booked for Saturday, Jan. 2, against Temple. Houston played two exciting games against the Owls last season before Temple reached the semifinals of the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
Houston hits the road to face Memphis on Tuesday, Jan. 5. The all-time series between the two teams is incredibly tight, with the Tigers holding a 15-13 edge.
Perhaps the highlight of the 2015-16 schedule is booked for Friday, Jan. 8, when the Cougars welcome three-time defending national champion UConn to Hofheinz Pavilion. Tipoff is booked for 8 p.m. CT for the ESPN2-televised game. This is just the second time that Houston has hosted the Huskies with the first coming in 2013-14.
A two-game home stand concludes on Sunday, Jan. 10, when the Cougars host SMU. Houston and the Mustangs split the season series last year with the Cougars winning a 63-45 decision on Jan. 3, 2015. The victory was Hughey's first in American Athletic Conference play and also the most lopsided win of UH's 2014-15 season.
Houston treks to Greenville, N.C., on Thursday, Jan. 14, for a meeting with East Carolina. Houston is 9-5 all-time against the Pirates, who qualified for the WNIT last season.
A matchup with border rival Tulsa is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Hofheinz Pavilion. The Golden Hurricane advanced to the WNIT Second Round last season in their first year as American members.
A difficult three-game road trip begins on Saturday, Jan. 23, when Hughey's club travels to Philadelphia for a rematch with Temple. Four days later, the Cougars are in Tampa, Fla., for their lone game of the year against USF. The Bulls went 27-8 last season, reaching the American Championship Game and the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
The road swing wraps up on Saturday, Jan. 30, as Houston faces Cincinnati. The two clubs squared off in a pair of epic showdowns last season with the Bearcats pulling out two overtime wins. Cincinnati won in double overtime at Hofheinz Pavilion, 76-73, before defending their home court with a 69-66 victory in the final game of the 2014-15 season series.
Houston is back home on Wednesday, Feb. 3, for a game against UCF. The game is the first leg of a two-date home stand that finishes on Saturday, Feb. 6, with the second matchup of the year against Tulane.
A road game at Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 10, concludes that regular season series for 2015-16. After that, it's back to Hofheinz Pavilion for the Cougars as they host East Carolina on Wednesday, Feb. 17, and Cincinnati on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The final road swing of the regular season begins on Tuesday, Feb. 23, as Houston journeys to Orlando for a rematch with UCF. The road trip finishes in the Lone Star State when the Coogs face SMU on Saturday, Feb. 27, in Dallas.
The 2015-16 regular season ends on Monday, Feb. 29 as the Cougars welcome Memphis to Hofheinz Pavilion. Prior to the game, Houston will honor seniors Marche' Amerson, Tyler Gilbert, Jessieka Palmer, Alecia Smith and Bianca Winslow before their final home appearance in scarlet and white.
The Cougars also released tipoff times for their non-conference schedule on Wednesday, including their five home dates. Houston's exhibition against Texas A&M-International on Sunday, Nov. 8, will begin at 2 p.m. CT, and the regular season home opener against Long Beach State, on Thursday, Nov. 19, starts at 7 p.m. Home games against Louisiana-Lafayette (Sunday, Nov. 22) and UNLV (Saturday, Dec. 12) start at 2 p.m., and the final non-conference game of the year, Sunday, Dec. 20, against Texas-Rio Grande Valley (formerly Texas-Pan American), tips at 1 p.m.
The 2015-16 American schedule is subject to change. Broadcast selections for The American's 15 appearances on ESPN3 along with the league's 25 American Digital Network selections will be announced at a later date.
 | CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO MOHEGAN SUN |
The American will host its annual Women's Basketball Championship at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., for the third consecutive season. The 2016 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship runs March 4-7, 2016, and the complete tournament will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
Houston advanced to the Quarterfinals of the 2014 Championship after upsetting Memphis in the First Round, 73-67. The Coogs were knocked out in the First Round last season.
Both prior editions of the American Championship were won by UConn.
| COUGARS READY FOR NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE |
In July, Hughey announced his team's 2015-16 non-conference schedule. The Cougars will play one exhibition and 11 regular season games in preparation for the American campaign. | FULL SCHEDULE Hughey's club starts the season on Sunday, Nov. 8, in an exhibition game vs. Texas A&M-International at Hofheinz Pavilion. The regular season opener is set for Friday, Nov. 13, at College of Charleston, and the first regular season home game is booked for Thursday, Nov. 19, against Long Beach State.
Houston will play three additional non-conference home games: Sunday, Nov. 22 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Saturday, Dec. 12 against UNLV and Sunday, Dec. 20 against UTRGV. For a complete listing of the team's schedule, CLICK HERE.
| VETERAN ROSTER SET FOR 2015-16 SEASON |
Houston returns six letterwinners, including all five starters, from last season's roster. Leading the way for Hughey's club is Palmer, who paced the club with 9.6 points per game last season and was a two-time American Honor Roll selection.
Seniors Amerson, Gilbert and Smith look to continue their assault on the Houston record books in 2014-15. Amerson opens the season with 859 career points and needs just 141 more to become Houston's 23rd 1,000-point scorer. Smith enters the year with 111 career 3-pointers, seventh in program history, while Gilbert has blocked 82 shots, UH's ninth-highest career total.
Winslow and sophomore Mariah Mitchell round out Houston's returning talent. Winslow started the final 13 games of the season as a junior and set career highs in scoring, assists and steals, while Mitchell hit 23 3-pointers, the 10th-best freshman mark in UH history.
2014-15 junior college All-Americans Dionna Collins and Kierra Graves will add major scoring ability to the Houston backcourt after both players averaged over 20 points per game last season. Fellow JuCo transfer Jacqueline Blake looks to add a scoring punch to the post after averaging a double-double in her sophomore season.
Transfers Chyanne Butler and Brianne Coffman will also continue their collegiate careers under Hughey's watch. Butler, a sophomore from USC, practiced with the Cougars for the second half of 2014-15 and will join the active roster for the second semester in 2015-16. Coffman, out of Oklahoma State, will sit out the 2015-16 season due to NCAA transfer requirements and have two years of eligibility remaining.
Three true freshmen round Hughey's group of newcomers. Oklahoma natives Sharayla Brown and Serithia Hawkins each earned All-State selections in their final prep seasons, and Cedar Hill, Texas, product Cenecia Newman was a district MVP. All three of the rookies were ESPN Hoopgurlz Class of 2015 top-100 recruits at their positions.
| $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 Houston Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer and Softball home games.
The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial savings as single-game tickets start at $8 for all four sports. Fans can save $126 alone during the Houston Volleyball and Soccer seasons. 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 official Facebook page at facebook.com/UHCougarWBB.
--UHCougars.com--
