The UH women’s basketball team will attempt to stay undefeated at Hofheinz Pavilion this season when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference foe Miami at 7 p.m. tonight.
Head coach Joe Curl said the Cougars (2-1) must make a quick recovery from a disappointing 69-47 loss to Oregon State on Wednesday.
"There’s no excuses (for what happened Wednesday night)," Curl said. "Miami’s a talented team and we’re going to play the game four minutes at a time and focus on what we do."
To pull out a win, UH will have to contain Hurricane freshman forward Shenise Johnson, who is averaging 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Curl said the Cougars will try to shut down Johnson, a 2008 McDonald’s All-American, with defensive pressure.
"We’re going to press her and try to box her in some," Curl said. "She’s a talented player and we’re going to do our best to contain her."
Neither team features much size, but Miami (1-1) has pulled down 103 rebounds in just two games. The Cougars need sophomore center Cobilyn Hill and sophomore forward Courtney Taylor to establish position inside and keep the Hurricanes off the glass.
"They are very athletic. At this point, we’re trying to win games, so we want to focus on the things we need to do to win," Curl said.
Houston has the speed to match up with the Hurricanes, and the Cougars’ slight size advantage should allow them to force the tempo and put Miami on their heels.
"We’re going to try to push the ball, but not turn it over," Curl said.
The Cougars will also be battling jet lag after their mid-week trip to the West coast. However, Curl said there are no excuses for sluggish play.
"We didn’t practice (on Thursday) and we’re going to have a short practice (today), but the girls should have their legs under them by (tonight)," Curl said.
The Hurricanes are coming off a last-second 63-61 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay on Nov. 16, a game that Miami started slowly. Curl said his team needs to be focused from the opening tip because the Hurricanes will not come out flat again.
"Miami has one of the best coaches around," Curl said. "We can’t afford to get off to the start we had against Oregon State. We have to play a better ball game."
Students with a valid CougarOne will be admitted to the game for free.
