Defense has been a problem for UH this season.
The Cougars are the worst scoring defense in Conference USA, giving up 72.8 points per game.
A myriad of injuries have made defense a tough proposition for UH, and have forced the Cougars to shift to a 2-3 zone.
The Cougars spent Tuesday’s entire practice working on improving their defensive execution by putting all of their repetitions into their new defensive style.
Assistant coach Wade Scott and head coach Todd Buchanan encouraged the Cougars to communicate better on the defensive end of the floor in preparation for their upcoming schedule.
Rice visits Hofheinz Pavilion this Saturday.
The Cougars face a unique challenge with the size that Rice presents in the front court. Forwards Jessica Kuster (6-2) and Brianna Hypolite (6-1) are both legitimate scoring threats.
Freshman forward Amanda Lawson will be tasked with banging with them inside. Lawson followed up a 15-point performance against Tulsa by going for eight points and seven rebounds in the Cougars’ last game.
The battle to be C-USA’s leading scorer seems like it will go through Houston this year.
Kuster (17points, 11 rebounds per game) is C-USA’s second leading scorer behind UH guard Roxana Button.
Kuster and Button’s individual scoring prowess could provide interesting fireworks on offense.
The Cougars showing in the painted area could be an indicator of how the game will play out.
The Cougars will need to focus on limiting Kuster near the basket if they want to win the rebounding battle.
The Cougars took a heavy loss on the glass in their most recent contest against UTEP on Sunday and it led to one of their biggest defeats of the season.
In that game, the Cougars shot just 26 percent from the field and went 0-4 on three-point attempts.
The Cougars also were only able to record one assist against the Miners.
Better ball movement and shooting will be key against the Owls.
Against the Owls, Button hopes to rebound from a 5-19 shooting performance. She was still able to score 20 points, draining 10-13 from the free-throw line.