Shooting woes continue to linger over UH after shooting under 33 percent from the field for the fourth consecutive game and leading to the fourth consecutive to ECU 68-59.
“If someone was to tell me that a recruiting class as high as number 22, which we have, would struggle scoring, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said head coach Todd Buchanan. “We’ve gone to another level of bad decision and poor shot selection.”
The loss drops UH to 9-12 overall and 3-5 in Conference USA.
Redshirt senior point guard Porsche Landry led the Cougars with 19 points and 10 rebounds, her first double-double of the season.
With the Cougars down 18-22 with 5:11 remaining, ECU closed the first half on a 13-5 run with back-to-back 3-pointers, propelling it to 35-23 lead at halftime. Down 12, UH started to rally and went on a 22-11 run to get the score down to 46-45 with 12:05 remaining in the last half — the closest the Cougars got the Pirates.
ECU responded. Senior guard Celeste Stewart knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, helping her team go on a 13-2 run, giving it a 59-47 lead with 7:20 remaining in the game.
“We showed our immaturity and lack of discipline on the defensive side and gave up two threes,” Buchanan said. “Next thing you know, the one-point game turns into a 12-point game. At the end of the day, that’s the ball game.”
Junior center Yasmeen Thompson said poor possessions in the second half created a deficit the team couldn’t overcome.
“We dug ourselves out of the hole and then got comfortable. We started getting lazy in possessions and we weren’t talking.”
UH’s inability to convert from the charity stripe has been a microcosm of its struggles. The Cougars shot a dismal 63 percent from the free throw line and missed a lot of easy plays under the basket, which contributed to the 31.7 percent field goal shooting.
“We have to execute our free throws and finish easy layups,” Landry said. “We have to run the floor, and we have to play Cougar basketball.”
UH will try to avoid its fifth consecutive loss with its next opponent, Rice.
“It’s an inner-city rivalry. If you can’t get crunk and get up to play that game on their floor, on national TV, then stay home,” Buchanan said.
