Junior guard Tiara Young scored a team-high nine points in the UH women’s basketball team’s loss to UCF on Wednesday night. | Esther Umoh/The Cougar
The Houston women’s basketball team’s cold shooting night led to a 54-44 defeat at the hands of UCF on Wednesday night at Fertitta Center.
The game began with UCF taking an 8-4 lead as both teams traded baskets to start the quarter.
UH’s offensive struggles early led to UCF going on a 6-0 run in the middle of the first quarter to take a commanding 15-6 lead but UH led by their stingy defense kept it close, trailing 15-10 at the end of the first quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, UH tied it 15-15 after a layup from junior forward Jazmaine Lewis and a 3-pointer from junior guard Tiara Young.
UH continued its smothering defensive effort, holding UCF without a field goal for the last six minutes of the first half to take a 24-19 lead going into the locker room.
All scorers in the first half were led by Young’s nine first half points.
The first half was defined by offensive struggles and defensive effort with both teams shooting under 40 percent and UH tallying nine first-half steals.
The second half opened up with more of the same, as both teams continued to play intense defense and struggled to find a rhythm offensively.
After taking a 30-24 lead, UH went on a scoring drought.
UCF’s senior guard Diamond Battles drilled a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game at the end of the quarter.
To start the fourth quarter UCF hit a layup to take the lead but UH answered with a 3-pointer to take it right back.
The two teams exchanged buckets in the fourth until UCF started to pull away after Battles hit a 3-pointer to make it 41-38 with five minutes to go.
The Cougars would never recover as their poor shooting night continued. UCF dominated the fourth quarter to cruise to a 10 point victory.
With the loss, the Cougars fall to 11-12 on the season.
