The Cougars survived a double overtime battle with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and stopped the rally attempt after going up double digits in the third.
Junior guard Jasmyne Harris had 26 points, redshirt sophomore forward Alyssa Okoene also had 26 and junior forward Dorian Branch hit two big three-pointers in the second overtime to deliver UH’s first win of the season.
UH started the game off slow as it allowed Georgia Tech to get out to an early 13-5 lead. The Cougars picked it up after the period and took a large lead using a 24-2 run that spanned the second and third quarters. The Yellow Jackets scored only six points in the second period.
Georgia Tech responded with a run of its own, and it closed the gap going into the fourth quarter.
The battle intensified late in the fourth quarter. Down four with 30 seconds left in regulation, Okoene hit a layup to cut the deficit to two points. After Georgia Tech guard Lotta-Maj Lahtinen missed a free-throw on the other side, Harris tied the game up at the buzzer with a three-pointer to send it into overtime.
In OT, Georgia Tech had the advantage until Okoene hit a game-tying layup at the buzzer to send the game into a second overtime.
In the second OT, Branch turned on and sealed the game. She hit two back-to-back threes, had an assist and made a late free-throw to help the Cougars hang on for the win.
This was the first win of the season for UH, which breaks a six-game losing streak that dated back to last season. This game was UH’s second in a row against a team that won 20 games last season. The Cougars were competitive in both games and will be looking to continue the momentum from this game.
The Cougars’ next game is against Louisiana Tech in Louisiana on Nov. 14.