On Saturday the Cougars will play the Rice Owls at 2 p.m. in Sharp Gymnasium. The Cougars defeated the Owls 71-66 in their previous meeting at Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 13.
Senior guard Twiggy McIntyre, the reigning Conference USA player of the week, will lead the Cougars against the Owls (8-11, 1-4 C-USA), who sit at the bottom of the conference.
Since losing to UH (10-9, 4-1), Rice has beaten Southern Miss and lost to Central Florida. They have also lost seven of their last eight games.
The lack of ball protection from the Cougars, on a four-game winning streak, almost cost them their last game against Rice, as they lost the turnover battle 19-12. They must be more careful handling the ball this time.
Their domination on rebounds – and their ability to score 16 points in the paint – helped the Cougars overcome their turnover woes.
In their last matchup with the Owls, the Cougars trailed most of the game, going 32 minutes without the lead during the middle of the game. A late run by the Cougars allowed them to grab the lead for good with 1:10 left.
McIntyre, who scored 24 points, and freshman center Cobilyn Hill, who tallied 16 points in the game, led the Cougars in that victory.
Though she only scored six points, freshman forward Courtney Taylor was able to contribute in a major way by grabbing 14 rebounds over the course of the game.
Defensively, the Cougars will have to keep an eye on freshman forward Morgan Mayse and sophomore guard Tara Watts, who both scored 14 points in the first game between the rivals.
McIntyre’s offense and Taylor’s defense will have to be on par for the team to beat Rice and continue the Cougar winning streak.
The Cougars will also have to cause more turnovers, as the difference almost cost them the last matchup. The 12 caused turnovers is slightly under average for the Cougars this season, and a better defensive performance will be the key to victory against Rice this weekend.
