UH women’s basketball guard Laila Blair scored 10 points in the Cougars’ loss to Memphis on Saturday afternoon. | Sean Thomas/The Cougar
The Houston women’s basketball team’s American Athletic Conference losing streak was extended to five on Saturday afternoon, as the Cougars fell 57-53 to Memphis.
The opening minutes of the game featured back-and-forth scoring between the Cougars and Tigers.
While Memphis scored the first two buckets of the game, UH found its footing and kept the game close early on. The Cougars led 11-10 at the 4:07 mark of the first quarter after making three consecutive field goals.
The two teams continued to trade baskets through the end of the opening quarter, but the Cougars held onto a slim 20-18 lead after the first period.
UH posted a strong offensive performance early, shooting 7 for 15 from the field, including making both of its 3-point attempts. The Cougars also held a strong rebounding advantage after the first, leading on the glass by a nine to four margin.
Memphis came out much stronger in the second quarter as UH’s offensive production slowed down. Memphis took back the lead near the halfway point of the quarter, leaving UH behind by a score of 27-24.
UH’s offensive struggles continued throughout the second as they entered a nearly three-minute scoring drought that left the Cougars trailing 32-26 before finally recording two straight field goals to make the deficit just two points.
At halftime, the Cougars trailed 34-30.
In the third quarter, UH continued to trail early but eventually put together a 6-0 run to take the lead back at 40-39 with 4:39 left in the quarter.
The teams traded baskets down the stretch of the third period, exchanging the lead several times before UH took control in the final minute to hold a 49-45 lead entering the fourth.
In the final quarter, both teams started off slowly on the offensive end as neither team scored until a pair of Memphis free throws at the 8:30 mark of the quarter.
With the game tied at 53-53 down the stretch, both squads turned up the defensive intensity as the scoring stalled.
Memphis was the first to break its drought, leading by two as UH called a timeout amidst another lengthy scoring drought. Memphis hit two free throws in the final seconds to seal the game as a 57-53 loss for UH.
The Cougars were led by junior guard Tiara Young’s 11 points and sophomore guard Laila Blair, who tallied 10 points and six rebounds in the loss.
