Senior foward Dorian Branch scored 15 in the Cougars’ loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road. | Jiselle Santos/The Cougar
The Cougars came up short on the road against Athletic Conference rival Cincinnati Bearcats, losing 85-66.
In the first frame, before the first timeout, the Cougars came out hot and made 75 percent of their shots.
The Bearcats began to control the pace of the game after coming out of the timeout. This led to an 11-0 run for Cincinnati and helped them close out the quarter up 25-20.
Opening the second quarter, the Cougars struggled to get a shot to fall. Cincinnati took advantage of the offensive struggles and took an opportunity to increase their lead with a 6-0 run and getting more baskets in the post.
The Cougars eventually regained their confidence, as junior guard Julia Blackshell-Fair scored six of 11 points for Houston to help them shorten the lead.
The Bearcats led at the half 47-32.
To open the third quarter, Houston came out to another quick start by attacking the basket and knocking down three shots in a row. The Cougars would go on to make 5 of 7 shots then lose their footing again.
The Bearcats began to control the pace of the game again and went on multiple scoring runs.
At the end of the third, Cincinnati led 67-49.
To open the final quarter, Houston came out fast again, catching the Bearcats defense off-guard to spark a 6-0 run. Right as the Cougars began to chip away at the lead, Cincinnati began to fight back to extend the lead more.
The Cougars suffered another slight scoring drought to end the game.
Sophomore guard Dymond Gladney led the Cougars in scoring with 17 points. Senior forward Dorian Branch and Blackshell-Fair both had four assists, and sophomore forward Tatyana Hill had eight boards.
The Cougars look to bounce back at home on Jan. 25. Houston will face the Wichita State Shockers at Fertitta Center and look to put this loss behind them.
