Houston Cougars guard Gigi Cooke (3) commands her team against UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros during the second half of an NCAA women’s college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Houston, Texas. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar
Houston women’s basketball was defeated 61-47 by the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night.
Georgia started hot, going on an 11-0 run to begin the game. Their tough defense also held the Cougars to just four points after the first quarter, and Georgia led 17-4.
In the second quarter, Houston flipped a switch and ended up outscoring the Bulldogs 17-12 in the second quarter. Houston’s redshirt sophomore guard Gigi Cooke and graduate guard Eylia Love combined for 10 points and cut the lead at halftime to just eight points.
Georgia started the third quarter on a 10-2 run which extended the lead to 16 for the Bulldogs. Houston scored nine unanswered points to cut the lead to seven and force a Georgia timeout. The third quarter ended with the Bulldogs up 43-32.
Georgia’s senior guards Asia Avinger and Roxane Makolo stole the show in the fourth quarter and led the Bulldogs to a 61-47 victory over the Cougars.
The Bulldog’s junior forward Amiya Evans led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Makola and Avinger combined for 25 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman guard Trinity Turner put up a balanced stat line with 12 points, six assists and seven rebounds.
Houston’s Love was the highlight of the game for the Cougars leading the team with 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward Peyton McFarland scored eight points and grabbed seven boards. Cooke was a spark off the bench for the Cougars as she tallied eight points, three rebounds and an assist.
Houston managed only a 24.6% field goal percentage and shot 23.8% from behind the arc.
The Cougars seek to pick up their first win of the season Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. against their rivals Rice at Tudor Fieldhouse.
