The Cougars brought their eight-game losing streak to an end with a win against the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday, going 73-62.
At the start of the game, the Cougars were tied for last place with ECU in the American Athletic Conference. With their win over the Pirates, led by freshman guard Angela Harris with 19 points, the Cougars advance their AAC record to 2-8 with an overall record of 9-14.
The Cougars dominated the Pirates in the first quarter. Leading AAC freshman guard Jasmyne Harris laid the ground work with a 3-pointer on the team’s first possession, followed by scoring plays from senior guard Kierra Graves, senior center Jacqueline Blake and Jasmyne Harris. The team had only one turnover and held the lead after the first quarter with a score of 24-13.
The Cougars struggled on offense in the second quarter, with only six points throughout the 10-minute period. However, the effort from East Carolina wasn’t enough to edge out the Cougars, who were able to keep the lead into halftime with a score of 30-22.
This season, the Cougars have struggled with putting away games. However, this changed while playing against the Pirates in the third quarter. Houston outscored East Carolina 20-15, never allowing East Carolina to get within 10 points of their lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars put the game out of reach for the Pirates, shooting from the free-throw line 18 times, making 16 points in total.
The Cougars had four players with double figures, including Blake, who set a new career high of 16 points.
Houston will travel to Orlando, Florida to play at the University of Central Florida next. The game is scheduled for this Wednesday with tip-off at 6 p.m.
