University of Houston Athletics
Houston Hosts Tulane in Rematch of American Opener
2/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar women's basketball team returns to action just three days after defeating UCF 64-55, when they play host to the Tulane Green Wave inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 6. Tipoff for the rematch between the two teams' conference opener is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Fans who can't join the Cougars in Hofheinz on Saturday, can follow the game through a variety of outlets. Free live audio is available at UHCougars.com/wbbradio, with Jeremy Branham calling the action. 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. LIVE AUDIO | | TWITTER
Houston (5-16, 1-9) defeated the UCF Knights 64-55 in their last contest on Wednesday, Feb. 3. The win marked the first this season for the Cougars in American Athletic Conference Play.
Senior forward Marche' Amerson tallied a season-high 20 points behind 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc to lead the Coogs.
Despite trailing 41-40 to open the fourth quarter, the Cougars exploded on a 12-2 run to begin the final period and give the Cougars a 52-43 lead with just 7:02 remaining in the game. Following a UCF timeout however, the Knights went on a 9-0 run of their own to knot the score at 52 apiece. The Cougars were unfazed though, and senior Alecia Smith and Amerson drilled back-to-back threes to open the lead back up to six, and give Houston the advantage for good.
THE STARTING FIVE
Five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about the Tulane game
WE MEET AGAIN - Houston and Tulane have met once before. The two teams opened conference play in New Orleans, La., when Tulane claimed victory 70-48.
Marche' Amerson - Marche' Amerson led the Cougars in points and rebounds the last time the two squads met scoring 11 points and pulling down seven boards.
ROUND TWO - Since Houston's rematch against Temple was postponed due to inclement weather, the Tulane matchup will mark the first of eight opponents the Cougars will meet twice this season.
FAMILIAR FOES- The two squads have meet 29 previous times on the hardwood in a series that dates back to when the Cougars and Green Wave were in Conference USA.
KEEP IT GOING - Houston snapped a 10-game losing streak with a win in their last contest against UCF and will look to keep that momentum going forward.
HOUSTON ONE-SHOTS
Here's the one thing you need to know about each member of the Houston roster:
#1 - Chyanne Butler - Registered career bests in points (17) and steals (seven) in the team's 50-48 loss to SMU on Jan. 10.
#2 - Jacqueline Blake â€" Blake matched a career-high with 11 points while also adding nine rebounds en route to earning Coach Hughey's player of the game honors against ECU.
#3 - Bianca Winslow â€" Tallied a career-high six assists while playing extended minutes in the team's 76-37 loss to UConn on Jan. 9
#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 - Cenecia Newman exploded for 14 points and four rebounds against Tulsa to earn Coach Hughey's player of the game award.
#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 - Returned to action after being sidelined with a concussion to lead the Cougars with 11 points on the road at USF
#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 - Registered her seventh-career 20 point game on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc in the team's win over UCF.
#23 - Serithia Hawkins â€" Hawkins set a career-high for rebounds in a game when she pulled down 12 boards on the road in Cincinnati.
#24 - Mariah Mitchell - Mitchell finished just one rebound shy of her first career double-double when she scored 11 points with nine boards against Temple.
#25 - Kierra Graves - Tallied a career-best 15 points against the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa on Jan. 20, while picking up five rebounds and two steals.
#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 â€" Exploded for a game-high 16 points in the team's 76-37 loss against No. 1/1 UConn, leading all scorers.
#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.
LAST TIME OUT • FEB. 3, 2016 • HOUSTON 64, UCF 55 | Final Stats
Houston defeated American Athletic Conference foe UCF 64-55 on Feb. 3, in Houston, Texas.
Senior forward Marche' Amerson scored a career-high 20 points including 4-of-7 from behind the 3-point line to help lead the Houston Cougar women's basketball team to a 64-55 victory inside Hofheinz Pavilion on Wednesday.
The two teams traded buckets for a majority of the first two quarters with neither team holding a lead of more than three points for the first 13 minutes of the game. However, with the Knights leading 17-16 with 7:34 remaining in the first half, UCF would go on an 8-1 run to extend their lead to eight. But, the Cougars would answer with a mini 4-0 run of their own to end the half and enter the locker room down 25-21.
Houston continued to battle late in the game, but could not find a way to reclaim the lead in the third quarter. The Cougars cut the lead to a one-possession game five times during the third frame, but were unable to capitalize until Amerson drilled a three with just 1:32 remaining in the period to put Houston back on top 40-39.
Despite trailing 41-40 to open the fourth quarter, the Cougars exploded on a 12-2 run to begin the final period and give the Cougars a 52-43 lead with just 7:02 remaining in the game. Following a UCF timeout however, the Knights went on a 9-0 run of their own to knot the score at 52 apiece. The Cougars were unfazed though, and senior Alecia Smith and Amerson drilled back-to-back threes to open the lead back up to six, and give Houston the advantage for good.
SERIES VS. TULANE
Saturday's game marks the 29th time in school history that the two teams will meet, including the American Athletic Conference Opener featuring the two teams earlier this season.
Tulane won that contest earlier this season 70-48 and have now won four straight contests against Houston dating back to Dec. 30, 2014.
The two squads met three times last season, with wins coming for Tulane on Dec. 30, 2014, Jan. 27, 2015 and in the American Athletic Conference Championship on March 6, 2015.
THE COACHES
Houston head coach Ronald Hughey is in his second season at Houston, with a career record of 11-40. He is 0-4 all-time against Tulane.
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.
Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton is in her 22nd season as the head coach at Tulane and has compiled a 453-222 record in that span. All-time as a head coach, the Wake Forrest alum holds a 516-249 record in 25 seasons.
SCOUTING THE GREEN WAVE
Tulane (15-7, 6-4) enters Saturday's contest on the heels of a 2-game losing streak falling to Temple and No. 1/1 UConn at home in back-to-back games. The Green Wave trailed the Huskies 30-8 at the end of the first quarter before eventually falling 96-38.
Leslie Vorpahl led the Green Wave against the Huskies with 11 points and three rebounds, while Kolby Morgan added 10 points and three rebounds of her own.
The Green Wave average 66.7 points per game, while holding their opponents to 62.2 points per contest. Tulane allows their opponents to beat them on the boards, and they are being outrebounded this season by an average of 36.5 rebounds to 35.8. As a team, Tulane shoots 43.0 percent from the field while allowing opponents to shoot 38.3 percent.
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS
Saturday's contest will be special for a couple of reasons. First, the team will use the contest against the Green Wave as their Alumni Game. All former alumni are encouraged to attend and be recognized by the team at halftime.
Saturday's game will also be Houston's Think Pink game. The first 600 fans through the door will receive a Pink T-Shirt in support of Play 4 Kay.
MARCHE'S MARCH TO 1,000 POINTS
Amerson reached the 1,000 point plateau in the team's contest at USF. Midway through the third quarter, Amerson drove to the hole, pulled up and rattled in a jumper to give her six points in the contest, and 1,000 for her career. Amerson is now the 23rd player in school history to reach quadruple digits in points. 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 wasn't the only number to monitor this season. The senior from Bryan, Texas, enters the UCF game fifth in Houston history with 109 career starts, fifth with 3,453 minutes and eighth with 104 made 3-point field goals and 346 3-point field goal attempts.
Alecia Smith is climbing the career 3-point record books, ranking fifth in made 3-pointers (135), fourth in attempts (537) and ninth in minutes (3,089).
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 111 blocks, and she's chasing Toni Mooney, who finished her career with 122 blocks, for fifth place. Gilbert became just the sixth player in Houston history with triple-digit blocks.
REGENTS APPROVE RENOVATIONS TO BASKETBALL ARENA
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 NEARS COMPLETION | 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 Cougars head back out on the road for a pair of American Athletic Conference games. Houston heads to Tulsa on Wednesday, Feb. 10, before making their way to Philadelphia, Pa., to take on Temple on Friday, Feb. 12, in their rescheduled game from Jan. 13. Tipoff at Tulsa is scheduled for 7 p.m., while the Cougars will tip against the Owls at 6 p.m.
$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.
