UH fifth-year senior Eryka Sidney brings the ball down the court against Wichita State. | Andy Yanez/The Cougar
Hot 3-point shooting and stifling defense propelled Houston to its second 30+ point victory over Temple, defeating the Owls 89-52 Wednesday afternoon.
The Cougars forced 30 turnovers in the team’s 80-46 win over the Owls earlier in the season and looked to bring that same defensive tenacity into Philadelphia.
Sophomore guard Britney Onyeje hit two early threes to get the scoring started and to kickstart the Cougars’ hot shooting night from beyond the arc. Onyeje finished with a team-high 19 points, including hitting five 3-pointers.
The Cougars capitalized on early Owls’ turnovers and sprinted out to an early double-digit lead they would never relinquish in the first quarter.
After one UH led 26-10 after closing the first period on a 17 -3 run.
The Owls struggled from the field throughout the entire game and were held to just 18 first-half points. The Cougars led by 20 at halftime, behind eight points from Onyeje and another eight points and three steals from freshman guard Laila Blair.
Blair, whose season-high 19 points came against the Owls in their first matchup, ended with 18 points and a team-high six steals.
The Cougars scored 40 points off of 26 turnovers as the Owls could not find an answer for Houston’s close man-to-man defense and high pressing.
The Cougar’s also shot very well throughout the game, ending on 51 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc, making 11 3-pointers in the contest.
Freshman guard Tae’lor Purvis ended the night by scoring her first collegiate points at the end of the fourth quarter.
The Cougars are tied for fourth place in the American Athletic Conference with Tulane with an 8-4 conference record.
