University of Houston
1-1
UNLV
2-0
Cougars Fall 64-53 in Road Opener at UNLV
11/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS â€" Junior point guard Chyanne Butler put up new career highs in points and rebounds, but her effort was not enough, as the Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team fell to UNLV 64-53 in its first road game of the 2016-17 season.
"We stuck together and we continued to fight throughout no matter how far we got down," Head Coach Ronald Hughey said. "We still came in and gave it our all. We scrapped. On the defensive end we didn't give up as many drives as last game, so we made a vast improvement on that. We still continued to play fast and under control, but we just didn't make the quality shots that we normally would make."
The game was tight throughout the contest, and the Cougars opened up a 12-6 lead, fueled by four points from Butler, midway through the quarter. However, in a game of runs, the Rebels answered with the next five points to cut the lead to 12-11 at the end of the first quarter.
The second half was more of the same, and after UNLV went on a 4-0 run to extend the lead to seven, the Cougars answered with their own 5-0 mark. Led by a layup from freshman Angela Harris and a 3-pointer by Butler, the Cougars cut the lead to 31-29 at the half. Butler finished the first half with 11 points and five rebounds.
THE BASICS
Score: UNLV 64, Houston 53
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada (Cox Pavilion)
TURNING POINT
The action remained tight for the duration of the contest, but the Cougars were never able to regain the lead in the second half. Twice in the final two quarters Houston cut the lead down to three points, and with 5:49 remaining in the game, trailed by just four points until a 4-0 run by the Rebels put the game out of reach.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Butler led all scorers in the contest with her career-best 18 points, while also picking up a new high in rebounds with eight. Houston picked up eight points from junior Mariah Mitchell, while Serithia Hawkins finished with five points and six boards.
UNLV: Paris Strawther led the Rebels both on the offensive end as well as the glass, tallying a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. UNLV also picked up double-digit scoring efforts by Dakota Gonzalez (14), Nikki Wheatley (11) and Brooke Johnson (10), while Katie Powell pulled down nine rebounds.
NEWS AND NOTES
- For the second consecutive game, the Cougars had big production from their bench. The reserves outscored UNLV's bench 12-4.
- Houston was able to get out and run in the contest and outscored UNLV on the break 13-8.
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
The West Coast road trip continues when the Cougars meet Long Beach State on Friday, Nov. 18, in Long Beach, Calif. Tipoff against the 49ers is set for 9 p.m.
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.
