Junior Angela Harris established herself as a star on the team after last season. However, her efforts against California were not enough. | Thomas Dwyer/ The Cougar
The women’s basketball team’s rally against No. 24 California fell short after junior guard Jasmyne Harris missed a three-pointer with seconds left in the game. Freshman Tatyana Hill cleaned up the miss with a putback at the buzzer, making the final score 80-79.
The Cougars played a close game in the first half. Houston led Cal 30-29 at halftime, but the Bears started heating up in the third quarter. California got the lead up to double digits in the quarter and went into the fourth quarter with a 10-point advantage.
The fourth quarter was a complete flip of the script. After trading baskets for the first portion of the period, UH started catching fire. Jasmyne and Angela Harris both buried big three-pointers to keep the Cougars in the game.
At the end of the game, Jasmyne created space from long range and launched up a game-tying three-point attempt. The shot was off, and the Cougars started the season off with a loss.
The star duo of Angela and Jasmyne Harris continued to show their leadership on the team. Angela collected four rebounds and four assists along with 12 points. Jasmyne led the team in scoring with 17 points and collected two steals.
Along with the Harrises, returning role players junior Dorian Branch and senior Serithia Hawkins also scored double digits, but it was not enough to stop the assault from California senior Kristine Anigwe.
Anigwe was a one-woman wrecking crew, and she finished with 37 points on 13-20 shooting. She was the catalyst for Cal in the third quarter, as she scored 21 of California’s first 24 in the period. She also completed a double-double with 13 rebounds.
The Cougars did not want to start the season with a loss, but their competitive game against a ranked opponent is a solid first step toward repeating the success from last season.
The Cougars’ next game is against Georgia Tech at 7 p.m. Friday in Houston at H&PE Arena.
