The Cougars traveled to Tulane on Saturday, where they lost by the score of 73-69 and dropped to 14-12 on the season, 8-4 in Conference USA play. After winning eight straight games earlier in the season, the Cougars have now dropped three in a row.
Senior guard Twiggy McIntyre tied for the game-high 18 points in the contest with Tulane senior guard Nikki Luckhurst.
Senior forward Ryan Meyers started the game and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and scoring four points, notching two assists, two steals and blocking two shots. Meyers’ rebound effort helped Houston win the rebounding battle by a margin of 49-41.
Freshmen forward Courtney Taylor and center Cobilyn Hill made their presence felt, as Taylor just missed a double-double, scoring 10 points while grabbing nine rebounds. Hill came off the bench with six points, nine rebounds and one block.
Unfortunately, the Cougars’ scoring woes continued, as they shot just 37.3 percent from the field. While this mark was not too far behind Tulane’s effort of 39.1 percent, the Cougars were again sloppy with the ball, which ultimately left them having to come from behind.
UH turned the ball over 18 times, while only causing 13 turnovers. The Green Wave scored 26 points from turnovers, while the Cougars only came away with eight.
Tulane (14-11, 4-8 C-USA) stretched its lead to 18 points with under eight minutes before halftime. The Green Wave took their double-digit lead into halftime by the score of 40-29. The 11-point deficit was more than the Cougars could overcome despite a strong drive in the second half.
Late in the game, Houston pushed for victory with senior guard Tye Jackson leading the way, hitting three three-pointers in the final 30 seconds to bring the Cougars within two points with just over two seconds left in the game. Tulane’s Luckhurst hit two final free throws that put the game out of reach for the Cougars as time expired.
This loss leaves the Cougars in a third-place tie in C-USA standings with either Southern Methodist or Alabama-Birmingham, depending on who loses their Sunday evening matchup. Maintaining a spot at or above fourth place will be important for the Cougars, as the top four teams in the conference are given a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
Houston will wrap up its conference schedule against Tulsa, East Carolina and Marshall; all teams should challenge the Cougars for their number four spot in the conference. The Cougars’ next game will be against Tulsa at 7 p.m. Thursday.
