Sports Women's Basketball

Heartbreaking fourth quarter collapses made Houston

Houston Cougars head coach Ronald Hughey writes down the next play on his board during the second half of an NCAA women’s college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Houston, Texas. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar

Houston women’s basketball suffered five straight conference losses before winning against No. 24 Oklahoma State. In its final two losses ahead of the long-awaited victory, late-game collapses barred a short-handed Houston team from claiming its first conference victory; however, coach Ronald Hughey viewed these games as stepping stones towards a complete game.

Tribulations at BYU

Houston women’s basketball made a great effort but fell to BYU 89-75 on Saturday at the Marriott Center in Provo. 

The Cougars closed within four points late in the third quarter but could not sustain momentum as BYU capitalized on turnovers and strong inside play to pull away in the final minutes.

BYU started strong, building an early 21-11 lead in the first quarter behind sophomore guard Amari Whiting’s sharp shooting and forward senior Emma Calvert’s dominance in the paint. 

Houston’s graduate guard Laila Blair responded with five points in the period, including a 3-pointer, while graduate guard Eylia Love added a late layup to keep UH in striking distance. Despite their efforts, turnovers were a recurring issue, as BYU turned 13 Cougar miscues into 16 points.

The game shifted in the third quarter. Houston trailed by as many as 14 points early in the period but mounted a 14-4 run fueled by sophomore guard Kierra Merchant. 

Merchant hit a pull-up jumper and followed up with a second chance 3-pointer, while graduate guard Laila Blair added a driving layup and key assists. 

Forward senior Peyton McFarland also contributed in the paint, helping the Cougars cut the deficit to just four points at 56-54 with four minutes left in the quarter.

However, BYU answered with an 8-0 run, led by freshman guard Delaney Gibb and a clutch 3-pointer from Whiting. Houston’s turnovers during this stretch were costly, and BYU capitalized to restore their lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Cougars also struggled to control the boards, with BYU grabbing 39 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end, which led to 10 second-chance points.

Merchant’s career-high 23 points, including five triples, kept Houston competitive, while Blair finished with 15 points and five assists. Houston’s bench contributed 19 points, with redshirt sophomore guard Gigi Cooke adding 16, but the Cougars struggled to string together consistent stops and baskets in the final frame.

For the game, UH shot a solid 45.5% from beyond the arc and averaged 1.071 points per possession, but their 13 turnovers and lack of defensive presence in the paint allowed BYU to maintain control.

“We had key moments that we missed, we gave up second chance opportunities, key transition three that we didn’t want to give up,” Hughey said. “ You can’t have those kinda moments when you’re trying to get back into the game”

Utah’s fourth-quarter magic

For the second time in four games, poor shooting in the fourth cost the Houston Cougars women’s basketball team big time as they fell to the No. 22 Utah Utes.
Utah got the game rolling thanks to graduate forward Maye Toure, who scored the first five points with a 3-pointer and an in-the-paint jump shot. She finished the quarter with seven points, and the Utes ended the quarter leading 15-6.
In the second quarter, UH scored the first five points with a layup and a three-pointer, but Utah went on a 7-2 run to take a 22-13 lead with 3:48 left in the period.
Back-to-back threes from Cooke and  Blair and back-to-back jumpers from Love helped Houston trail only 26-23 before the Utes made two free throws at the end to take a 28-23 lead.
In the third quarter, the two teams exchanged buckets for almost half the period with Utah leading 37-33. After the Cougars made a
free throw, the Utes would go on an 8-0 run the rest of the quarter to take a 45-34 lead.
Utah demolished the Coogs, outscoring them 24-8 the entire fourth period to win 62-49. Houston struggled mightily in the fourth, as they went 2-17 from the field and 1-7 from downtown.
“You start getting cold from the field and forcing shots and things like that,” Hughey said. “Just got to refocus and get back to being Houston.”
The Utes dominated the boards, outrebounding the Cougars 56-26, including having 19 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points.
Utah also bullied Houston on the inside, with 48 of their 69 points coming from inside the paint. Toure was the Ute’s standout player, grabbing a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Her teammate, junior guard Giana Kneepkens, was an all-rounder during the game, with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Blair was the Coogs’ best player on the court with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists.

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