The Cougars defeated the Pride 54-44 on Sunday evening and will now compete for the championship at the Fordham Holiday Classic against the Rams on Monday.
The Cougars were on fire from the tip forcing three turnovers out the gate. While on the offensive end, senior forward Dorian Branch hit a 3-pointer to start an 8-2 into the first media timeout.
The Cougars held the Pride scoreless over the last two minutes of the first quarter.
Sophomore guard Dymond Gladney contributed with back-to-back triples in the closing minutes as well, to help Houston go into the break with a 17-5 lead.
In the second frame, Gladney showed she didn’t miss a beat.
Gladney scored the first baskets of the quarter, which fueled a 12–point run over four minutes.
Hofstra showed fight and went on a 6-0 run.
Freshman forward Bria Patterson broke Hofstra’s streak with a layup on a fast break to fuel another run of their own.
In the closing minutes of the half, sophomore guard Tatyana Hill went 3/4 from the field to help extend the lead.
The Cougars were up 31-17 at the half.
After the break, Hofstra came out seeking vengeance with a 7-0 run, which forced Houston to call a timeout.
The Pride were unaffected and continued their run to 16-0.
But a late basket from Gladney and a 3-pointer by Branch would help slow down the Pride.
Houston would remain ahead 38-33 going into the final quarter.
Hill got her mojo back and scored the back-to-back on the first possessions in the final frame.
The six offensive rebounds gave Houston the edge over Hofstra in the closing minutes of the game as well.
The Cougars held Hofstra scoreless in the final minutes of the game to secure the win. Houston won 54-44.
The Cougars will now play in the Fordham Holiday Classic Championship game against the Rams at 2 p.m. on Monday in New York.