The Cougars are ahead of Tulane in the Conference USA standings, but UH head coach Joe Curl knows just how tough the Green Wave can be.
The Cougars had to overcome a 16-point, second-half deficit to defeat Tulane, 58-56, on Jan. 9 at Fogelman Arena in New Orleans.
When the Cougars meet the Green Wave inside Hofheinz Pavilion at 7 tonight, Curl hopes his team won’t need the same type of magic.
The Cougars (15-7, 7-3 C-USA) are riding a three-game winning streak and sport a 10-0 record at home this season.
UH’s closest conference home game this season was a 61-50 win against Alabama-Birmingham on Jan. 16. Since that date, UH has won home games by margins of 18, 15 and 20 points.
The Cougars need this trend to continue, as C-USA will probably send only one team to the NCAA Tournament. Southern Methodist has the highest Rating Percentage Index ranking in C-USA at 100, while Houston sports the conference’s second-best RPI at 104.
The Green Wave (14-10, 6-4 C-USA) has won back-to-back road games and three consecutive overall. Tulane will give UH one of its toughest challenges of the season.
The main focus for the Cougars will be tempo. Although Tulane is averaging 66.1 points per game, it likes to keep the game in the 40s or 50s. UH, on the other hand, wants an up-tempo game which it can score in the 60s or 70s.
Tulane’s snail-like style of play will force the Cougars to execute their half-court offense efficiently, something they have done well during their last five games.
Both teams are holding their opponents to less than 39 percent shooting per game, but one deciding point could be physicality. The team that is stronger on the boards and in the paint will put itself in great position to prevail.
Another storyline comes from two players who are in the midst of a late-season surge. Tulane guard Indira Kaljo, the reigning C-USA Rookie of the Week, averaged 22.5 points in her last two games. UH center Cobilyn Hill scored 18 and a career-high 26 points in two victories over Rice last week.
In the Cougars’ first game against Tulane, only guard Brittany Scott (19 points) and forward Courtney Taylor (17 points) scored more than six points. Curl knows the Cougars will need a total team effort to keep their winning streak alive.
Only six games remain before the C-USA Tournament, which means the Cougars have no room for error if they want to finish in the top four of the conference standings and receive a first-round bye.
UH’s next four games will be at Hofheinz Pavilion, including a matchup with Texas-El Paso at noon Saturday. The game will be broadcast on CBS College Sports.
