UH junior guard Britney Onyeje scored 14 points in the Cougars’ victory over New Mexico on Saturday. | Esther Umoh/The Cougar
After dropping two straight games on the road, Houston tallied a decisive 89-60 victory against previously-undefeated New Mexico in its return to Fertitta Center on Saturday afternoon.
UH’s offensive effort was defined by a strong 12-for-25 shooting clip from behind the arc, led by redshirt junior guard Britney Onyeje and sophomore guard Laila Blair, who knocked down four and three 3-pointers, respectively.
Despite a string of strong defensive possessions to open the game, UH struggled to put points on the board in the opening minutes. The Cougars began the game 0 for 6 from the field and missed their first six 3-pointers.
UH began to find its offensive momentum near the end of the first quarter, going on a 7-0 run driven by a pair of tough shots by junior guard Tiara Young. New Mexico continued to keep pace, however, and UH ended the quarter with only a 3-point lead.
In the second quarter, UH found rhythm behind the 3-point line. New Mexico went on a 6-0 run to make it just a one-point game with five minutes left in the first half.
In the closing minutes, UH caught heat from beyond, making three consecutive 3-pointers to make the game 38-29.
UH went into halftime with a 38-34 lead, finishing 4 for 4 on 3-pointers in the second quarter.
UH fully took control of the game in the third quarter, with their performance defined by 12 forced turnovers and a dominant 19-2 run that made the UH lead balloon to 19 points. UH finished the quarter with a 20 point, 66-46 lead.
The dominance continued for UH, with back-to-back 3-pointers opening UH’s scoring for the final quarter. New Mexico was unable to do anything to shrink the UH lead in the fourth, and UH finished with a convincing 89-60 victory.
New Mexico struggled against UH’s strong defensive effort, surrendering 34 total turnovers.
Leading the way for UH defensively was senior forward Tatyana Hill, who registered eight total rebounds, five blocks, and three steals, as well as a team-best +23 plus/minus.
Saturday’s win advances UH to 2-2 on the still-young season.
