Cougars Host Tulsa to Open American Play
12/30/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball Team opens American Athletic Conference play when it hosts Tulsa, on Sunday, inside Hofheinz Pavilion. Tipoff against the Golden Hurricane is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with the game airing live on ESPNU.
In honor of New Year's Day, the Houston Athletics Ticket Office is excited to announce a special discount for Sunday's game. All fans can purchase tickets for just $1, and fans will receive a free pair of 2017 Glasses while supplies last.
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is proud to offer the Shasta Pass, the best way to see Houston's 14 regular season home games. For only $80, fans who purchase a Shasta Pass will receive general admission entrance to all 14 home games. The Shasta Pass also grants entry to every home game on the 2017 Houston Softball schedule. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A SHASTA PASS | FULL SCHEDULE
Fans who can't make it to Hofheinz on Wednesday can watch the game live via ESPNU with Brenda VanLengen and Carol Ross on the call. Live statistics are also available through , and the official Twitter account of Houston Women's Basketball, @UHCougarWBB, will offer updates throughout the game. | TWITTER
THE STARTING FIVE
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about Sunday's game against Tulsa.
American Play - Houston begins its fourth season of American Athletic Conference play when the Cougars host Tulsa on New Year's Day.
Familiar Foes - Houston and Tulsa have met 21 times in their program's histories, dating back to 2006, when the two teams were in Conference USA.
Harris' Hot Hand - Freshman Jasmyne Harris had a stellar non-conference season. She enters conference play ranked second among freshman scorers in The American.
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 11 of their 13 contests.
On The Glass - Houston has been a force on the glass this season, outrebounding opponents on average of 1.8 boards per game.
SERIES vs. TULSA
Sunday's game marks the 22nd time the Cougars and Golden Hurricane will meet since 2006, when the two squads were members of Conference USA.
Tulsa leads the all-time series 15-6 and won all three contests against the Cougars in 2015-16.
The last time the two teams met was in the first round of the 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship when Tulsa knocked off the Cougars 76-38 in Uncasville, Conn.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN HURRICANE
Tulsa enters Sunday's game with a 4-9 overall record after wrapping their non-conference slate with a 72-68 loss at Indiana State on Dec. 21.
As a team, the Golden Hurricane average 66.0 points per game while allowing opponents to score 70.5. From the field, Tulsa shoots 40.4 percent but allows their opponents to make 41.4 percent of their shots. The Golden Hurricane thrive from beyond the arc, making 37.3 percent of their 3-pointers while allowing opponents to only make 29.0 percent.
Offensively, the Golden Hurricane are led by Erika Wakefield and Kendrian Elliot who average 12.2 and 10.1 points per game respectively. Elliot has also been Tulsa's leader on the glass, pulling down 7.4 rebounds per game, while Wakefield's 46 assists pace the squad.
UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
Houston heads on the road for the first time in 2017, when they travel north to Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 7. Tipoff against the Bearcats is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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.
