The last game of the regular season was a tough one for the Cougars, who fell 45-56 Monday night against the conference rival Temple Owls.
UH controlled the flow of the game early but could not keep up with the Owls’ fast-break tempo. The Cougars slowed down the game and kept the ball out of the Owl’s hands but were unable to capitalize, with a mere 20 percent shooting inside the arc, alongside going zero for six on 3-point attempts.
“We had some stops, but offensively we struggled some,” head coach Ronald Hughey said. “We put more pressure on the defensive end to get those stops, and you can’t continue to do that,”
Despite their offensive inefficiency, Houston was able to grind it out on defense to keep the game close, going into the half down 21-17.
The Cougars came out in the second half and showed improved efficiency on offense, shooting 38 percent from the floor, and finally connecting on a couple of 3-pointers. UH could never gain any ground on the Owls as every move made was matched by Temple.
In the end the Owls were able to keep their lead and grab the victory.
Junior guard Jessieka Palmer led the Cougars on both sides of the floor, completing seven buckets for 14 points and collecting 11 rebounds on the night.
Palmer attributed her big night to the seniors on the team.
“I was going to play for our seniors,” Palmer said. “They have been a big part of what I have been able to do these three years that I have been alongside them, so I just put it in my mind to play for them.”
Seniors Terran Alford and Demetria Foreman were honored before the game, as it would be their final time playing at home.
“I feel like I was able to accomplish something that I didn’t think I would be able to accomplish at this level,” Alford said of her four years at UH. “There’s not many people who can say that they made it to the collegiate level in basketball, so I am very thankful for the opportunity. “
Houston is set to face off against the Tulane Green Wave in the 2015 American Athletic Conference Championship, which runs from March 6 through 9 in Uncasville, Conn.
With this loss, Houston ends with a 2-67 record, 1-17 in the American Athletic Conference. As the No. 11 seed, the Cougars will play their first game at 7 p.m. on Friday.