UH women’s basketball guard Britney Onyeje ended with 13 points in the team’s win against Wichita State on Wednesday. | Sean Marty/The Sunflower
The Houston women’s basketball team’s defense remained stout when it mattered most in its 77-65 win over Wichita State on Wednesday evening.
The two teams played a close first half, with three ties and seven lead changes. After two quarters, the Cougars’ lead was 34-33. Sophomore guard Britney Onyeje was 3-of-3 shooting from the 3-point line. Onyeje ended the game with 13 points.
The Cougars (14-5, 11-5 American Athletic Conference), who came into the game leading the AAC in both three-point attempts and makes, hit seven shots from beyond the arc.
Struggling with foul trouble all game, four Cougars ended the game with four fouls.
A buzzer-beating 3-pointer as the third quarter expired by freshman guard Laila Blair extended the Cougars’ lead to five. Blair, who scored 15 points in the UH women’s basketball team’s first win over Wichita State, ended with another 15 points.
A converted and-one by Blair followed by a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Miya Crump midway through the fourth quarter gave the Cougars a lead they did not relinquish.
Crump led the Cougars in scoring with 16 points and junior guard Dymond Gladney had 12, while junior forward Tatyana Hill rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11.
The Cougars ended the game on a 20-5 run to close out the tough matchup, as consistent free-throw shooting late proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
The Cougars end the season with an 8-3 road record, winning their final six. This proved to be the fourth season sweep completed by UH, and they move to 7-0 all-time against the Shockers.
The regular season will end after the Cougars’ final two home games, which includes a big one against No. 13 and first-place in the AAC South Florida on Saturday, and then Cincinnati before the AAC Tournament.
