Cougars aspire to down Owls

Brittney Scott and the Cougars look to extend their win streak to 10 games tonight against Rice at Hofheinz Pavilion. UH has a firm grasp on the conference standings with the Owls and Memphis trailing by three games. . | File Photo/The Daily Cougar

Conference wins are piling up, and the Cougars are beginning to receive national recognition. UH is receiving 10 votes in the USA Today/ESPN Poll and 18 votes in the AP Top 25 Poll.

With that comes an even bigger target on the collective back of the Cougars (18-4, 9-0 Conference USA), who will host a streaking Rice today.

The Owls (14-9, 6-3) are tied for second in the conference with Memphis, and are on the heels of a four-game winning streak after getting the best of SMU at home on Sunday 69-60.

UH has the best offense in C-USA, but Rice boasts the best defense in the conference holding opponents to 61.3 points per game.

In the all-time series UH has a 45-7 advantage.

The Cougars have won the last six meetings against the Owls, and have only lost twice at home to Rice since 1978.

Tonight’s game tips off at 7 p.m. at Hofheinz Pavilion.