Cougars to Compete In Rae & Craig Blair Memorial
12/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN ANTONIO â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team wraps up a 3-game trip away from Hofheinz Pavilion when it travels to compete in the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament on Dec. 19-20 inside the Convocation Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Tipoff for the Cougars' game against the host school UTSA on Monday is scheduled for 6:15 p.m., while Houston will meet Central Arkansas the following night. The matchup with the Sugar Bears is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Live statistics are available for each game of the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament through SIDEARM, and the official Twitter account of Houston Women's Basketball, @UHCougarWBB, will offer updates throughout the game. LIVE STATS | TWITTER
THE STARTING FIVE
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament.
Who Are You? - Houston locks up with Central Arkansas for the first time in history. UCA will be Houston's second Southland Conference opponent this season.
Nobody's Home - Tuesday's contest with Central Arkansas will be the ninth neutral site game that Head Coach Ronald Hughey has been in during his 2+ year tenure.
Series Domination - Houston has controlled the series with UTSA since it began in 1981, winning 19 of the 20 previous contests, including the first 17 in the series.
Freshman Phenoms - For the third consecutive week, a Houston player was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after Jasmyne Harris claimed the award for the second straight time on Monday.
So Much Depth - Houston's bench has played a key role in the scoring this season. The Cougars have won the bench points battle in nine of their 10 contests.
SERIES vs. UTSA and CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The meeting with UTSA will be the 21st all time, and the Cougars lead the series 19-1. The last time the two squads met was on Dec. 19, 2014 in Lubbock, Texas, when the Cougars won 56-53.
Houston and UTSA last played in San Antonio, on Dec. 4, 2011, in what would prove to be the Roadrunners' only win in the series, a 70-59 victory.
The Cougars and the Sugar Bears will meet for the first time in program history.
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
UTSA enters the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament with a 3-6 overall record including a 3-3 mark inside the Convocation Center. The Roadrunners most recently fell to No. 16/17 Texas 76-43 in Austin on Saturday.
As a team, the Roadrunners average 67.4 points per game while allowing opponents to score 68.0. UTSA is shooting 39.8 percent from the field and allowing opponents to shoot 40.2 percent. On the glass they pull down 1.9 more rebounds per game than their opponent at 40.9 to 39.0.
Loryn Goodwin leads UTSA individually in scoring with 19.9 points per game, while Tesha Smith pulls down 7.6 rebounds per contest to pace the Roadrunners.
SCOUTING THE SUGAR BEARS
Central Arkansas enters Tuesday's competition with a 6-2 overall record and most recently fell 79-45 at Texas Tech on Dec. 14. The Sugar Bears will meet Liberty on the first day of the Rae & Craig Blair Memorial Tournament.
Entering play this week, the Sugar Bears are averaging 71.6 points per game while allowing opponents to score just 50.5. Central Arkansas is dominating its opponents on the glass, collecting missed shots by a mark of 38.3 to 32.8 rebounds per game. UCA shoots 46.9 percent from the field while holding opponents to just 34.7.
Individually Maggie Proffitt and Taylor Baudoin are tied for the team lead in scoring with 12.9 points per game, while Raquel Logan pulls down 7.3 rebounds per contest to lead the team.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
The Cougars return home to wrap the non-conference portion of their 2016-17 schedule when they host Alcorn State on Saturday, Dec. 28. Tipoff against the Lady Braves is scheduled for 7 p.m., inside Hofheinz Pavilion.
PURCHASE A SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2016-17 athletic season. For just $80, 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. Fans can order a Shasta Pass by clicking .
FLOOR SEATS SEASON TICKET PACKAGE
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office also offers a Floor Seats season ticket package. For just $250, fans will have courtside access to all 14 Houston home games in 2016-17. Fans can purchase a season ticket package for Floor Seats by clicking HERE.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Single-game tickets for all 14 games inside Hofheinz Pavilion are on sale now via the Houston Athletics Ticket Office. Prices begin at just $5 for general admission seats and range up to $20 for floor seats. General admission group tickets are offered to parties of 10+ for $3 each. Single-game tickets can be purchased HERE.
FERTITTA PLEDGES $20 MILLION TO ATHLETICS
Tilman J. Fertitta, globally recognized entrepreneur and Chairman of the University of Houston System Board of Regents, presented a historic $20 million gift to the University of Houston to transform the UH basketball arena into a state of the art collegiate sports facility and rename the arena Fertitta Center. Fertitta's gift is the largest individual donation to UH Athletics.
The Fertitta gift is a significant step forward in the $60 million University of Houston Basketball capital renewal project for the center's design and renovation. Design work is currently underway. Renovations and construction are scheduled to follow the 2016-17 season, with completion expected during the 2018-19 season. Plans for the Cougars' home facility during the 2017-18 season have not been finalized.
The facility will feature a premium club area and a courtside club. The reconfigured bowl will move mid-court seating locations closer to game action with floor-level seating opposite the team benches for UH students. Renovations include a new audio system, sports lighting and video boards as well as new concession stands and expanded restrooms. The facility's exterior also will be refreshed.
Prominent to the center's exterior, the renovation will preserve the legacy of the Hofheinz family and its contributions to both UH and the city of Houston. UH will transform an area adjacent to the new facility into Hofheinz Plaza, where fans will be greeted by a bronze statue of former Harris County Judge Roy Hofheinz. The University of Houston will request that city officials rename a portion of Holman Street in front of the arena after the Hofheinz family. In addition, Roy Hofheinz's records will be permanently archived and publicly accessible as a special collection in the UH library and the Alumni Center will house an area describing the lives and public service of Roy and Irene Hofheinz.
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.
