University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Hit the Road for East Carolina
2/3/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GREENVILLE, N.C. â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Basketball team returns to action on the road against East Carolina on Saturday. Tipoff against the Pirates is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., CT inside Minges Coliseum, with the game airing live on ESPN3.
Fans can find the live stream of Saturday's contest via ESPN3 by clicking HERE. Steve Thomas and Chelsea Wilson will be on the call. Fans can also catch the game via Houston's home for Women's Basketball Radio, UHCougars.com/wbbradio. Live statistics are also available through SideArm, and the official Twitter account of Houston Women's Basketball, @UHCougarWBB, will offer updates throughout the game. LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
THE STARTING FIVE
Here are five names, numbers, news items and storylines that you need to know about Saturday's game against East Carolina.
All Too Well â€" Houston and East Carolina will meet for the 17th time in history, dating back to 2002 when the two squads were in Conference USA.
Airing Live â€" Saturday's contest will air live via ESPN3. The game marks the seventh of 10 games this season where the Cougars will play on stream or television.
Scoring Machine â€" Freshman guard Jasmyne Harris has been Houston's top offensive contributor since the beginning of December. Harris has averaged 13.7 points per game over the last 16 contests.
So Much Depth â€" Houston's bench has played a key role in the scoring this season. The Cougars have won the bench points battle in 16 of their 22 games.
Old Rivals â€" With the exception of the 2013-14 season, the Pirates and Cougars have met at least once per year and during the last three seasons have met twice.
SERIES vs. EAST CAROLINA
Houston and East Carolina have met 16 times in history, dating back to Jan. 25, 2002 when each team was in Conference USA.
Houston holds the all-time series advantage at 9-7 including a 4-3 mark in Greenville, N.C.
The Pirates have won six straight contests in the series dating back to an 83-77 win on Feb. 16, 2012 in Greenville. The last time Houston won in North Carolina was a 66-65 victory on Feb. 28, 2009.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
East Carolina enters play with a 10-12 overall record and a 1-8 mark in American Athletic Conference play. The Pirates have lost six straight contests, most recently falling to Tulsa 100-92 in overtime.
As a team this season, East Carolina averages 63.2 points per game, while allowing opponents to score 69.4. The Pirates shoot 40.8 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from beyond the 3-point line while allowing their opponents to shoot 41.2 and 28.8 percent respectively.
A pair of Pirates average double figure points per game, with Kristen Gaffney leading the way with 14.8. Bre McDonald sits second on the team while contributing 11.9 points per game. Gaffney also leads the squad on the glass, pulling down 6.4 rebounds per contest, while McDonald comes in right behind at 6.3 boards per game.
THE SEASON SO FAR
Houston enters play with an 8-14 record and a 1-8 mark in American Conference play after falling 57-49 to Tulane on Tuesday.
Houston has been led offensively by freshman guard Jasmyne Harris who has tallied 11.3 points per contest. Freshman guard Angela Harris ranks second on the team at 8.9 points per game, while Chyanne Butler adds 8.8 per contest.
The Cougars have been impressive on the glass this season, led by Serithia Hawkins who has pulled down 7.4 rebounds per game. Jasmyne Harris is averaging 5.5 boards per game, while junior Brianne Coffman pulls down 4.7 per game.
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.
