University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
6-24
No. 6 Tulsa
12-18
Cougars Fall to Tulsa in American Championship
3/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Uncasville, Conn. â€" Freshman Serithia Hawkins led the Cougars with nine points and 11 rebounds, but the Houston women's basketball team's season came to an end with a 76-38 loss to Tulsa in the first round of the American Athletic Conference Championship in Uncasville, Conn., on Friday.
"It's always great to come up here and play in this tournament," Head Coach Ronald Hughey said. "The atmosphere and level of competition is always great. I'm a little disappointed in the way we played. We started out pretty good. The one thing I could say about this team all year is they are resilient. When you lose 11 games by four points or less, they always came out and fought. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't come out and shot that type of heart and desire that we normally play with."
The two teams traded baskets over the course of what would be a competitive first quarter. The Cougars grabbed an early 4-2 lead, and the lead would change hands three more times before Tulsa extended it to the largest margin of the quarter at 15-11. Senior Marche' Amerson drilled a 3-pointer with 1:55 to play in the quarter to cut the lead to 1, but a layup from Ashley Clark with 12 seconds remaining brought the lead to three.
Both teams came out sluggish in the second quarter, with just eight points being scored in the first 6:04 of the frame. Tulsa however would end the half on a 9-2 run to bring the lead to double-digits as the teams made their way to the locker rooms.
THE BASICS
Score: Tulsa 76, Houston 38
Records: Houston 6-24 (2-16), Tulsa 12-18 (8-10)
Date: Friday, March 4, 2016
Location: Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
TURNING POINT
Tulsa grabbed a 16-point lead heading to the fourth and final quarter. The Golden Hurricane defense proved a tough task for the Cougars who were held to just three points in the quarter. Meanwhile, Tulsa closed the game on a 20-0 run to close out the contest.
TOP PERFORMERS
Houston: Freshman Serithia Hawkins fell just a point shy of her fifth career double-double as she scored nine points and pulled down 11 rebounds. The effort marked Hawkins' 15th, double-digit rebounding game of the season. Playing in her final game as a Cougar, Amerson finished the contest with eight points and four rebounds.
Tulsa: A trio of Tulsa players scored in double-digits Friday night. Ashley Clark collected a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Kelsee Grovey scored a game-high 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from behind the arc. Erika Wakefield also scored 10 points for Tulsa, while collecting four rebounds and dishing out two assists.
NEWS AND NOTES
- For the 19th time this season, Hawkins led the Cougars in rebounds. That number sits second on the career list among current Cougars just behind senior Tyler Gilbert who has been the leading rebounder in a game 21 times in her career.
- Hawkins' 222 rebounds for the season rank tied for fourth all-time among Cougar freshmen with Monica Lamb (1993-94) trailing only Courtney Taylor (249, 2007-08), Jennifer Jones (241, 1994-95) and Pat Luckey (225, 1993-94).
STAY CONNECTED
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