Senior guard Laila Blair sets up Houston’s offense against the Kansas Jayhawks.| Gillian Wisniewski/The Cougar
The Cougars have been dealt a difficult hand this season in dealing with multiple injuries throughout this season.
“We are struggling because we are having to adjust to a different style of play than we want to play,” coach Ronald Hughey said. “We are a very aggressive team that likes to press, but you have to have more than six or seven healthy players to do that.”
Houston women’s basketball struggles in loss to Baylor, 70-51
The Houston women’s basketball team faced a tough challenge against Baylor, falling 70-51 at the Foster Pavilion on Jan., 17.
Despite a spirited effort, the Cougars struggled with their shooting and turning the ball over, which allowed Baylor to control the game. Baylor’s dominance inside the paint quickly became apparent. They managed to total 52 points in the paint for the game.
Graduate guard Laila Blair provided a spark with an early 3-pointer, but the Cougars were unable to find a rhythm, entering halftime trailing 34-23.
The Cougars struggled offensively in the first half, shooting just 30% from the field.
Houston made a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to single digits behind strong play from redshirt sophomore guard Gigi Cooke. Despite their efforts, turnovers plagued the Cougars, as Baylor capitalized on 13 Houston miscues, turning those mistakes into 10 points.
Baylor dominated the paint throughout the game, outscoring Houston 52-16 in that area. The Bears also controlled the boards, grabbing 51 rebounds compared to Houston’s 31. In the end, Baylor’s efficient 48.4% shooting and control of the tempo ultimately sealed Houston’s fate.
Senior center Aaronette Vonleh set the tone for the Bears, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Junior forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs added 16 points and six rebounds of her own. Cooke was a spark for Houston with 17 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Graduate guard Eylia Love added 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, showcasing her versatility on both ends. Graduate guard Laila Blair followed with 11 points and three steals.
“They were ready to play and outplayed us,” Hughey said. “The overall struggle for us was rebounding and turning the ball over.”
Blair breaks UH’s all-time 3-point record in loss to Texas Tech
Houston fell to Texas Tech in a 62-44 defeat at the Fertitta Center Jan., 22.
Blair broke Houston’s all-time 3-point record with a deep three to finish the fourth quarter.
“I thank God for the opportunity to break the 3-point record and continue to chase history,” Blair said.
Early in the first quarter, sophomore guard Jalynn Bristow made a difficult layup, giving Texas Tech an early 7-2 lead. Love responded with four made free throws, narrowing the deficit to just one point.
Junior guard Adlee Blacklock swished a 3-pointer, giving Texas Tech a 10-6 lead.
On the following possession, Blair answered with a 3-point jumper of her own to tie the game at 10.
Sophomore guard Kierra Merchant finished out the first quarter with a 3-point buzzer-beater from the corner to give Houston a 13-10 lead.
Junior guard Jasmine Shaver gave Tech an early advantage at the beginning of the second quarter, solidifying a 15-13 lead over the Cougars. The Red Raiders ended the quarter on a 13-4 run to go into halftime with a 28-17 lead. Houston had 14 turnovers in the first half and shot just 26.3% from the field.
Texas Tech went on a 12-point run to begin the third quarter to jump out to a 21-point lead, and an eventual 51-29 lead entering the fourth quarter. UH outscored Tech in the fourth but were unable to overcome the deficit.
Shavers led the Lady Raiders with 15 points. She also had four rebounds and two steals. Texas Tech also had 30 bench points and was led by junior guard Adlee Blacklock and Bristow, who both finished with eight points.
Blair led the Cougars with 15 points of her own and was one of the only sparks offensively. She also contributed three assists and five rebounds in the game. Love followed in scoring with 11 points and grabbed seven boards.
With the loss, the Cougars have now lost both of their matchups against Texas Tech by a combined margin of 33 points.
“When things get tough, your true character shows,” coach Hughey said. “We are going to continue to have great character and play hard here.”
Conference woes continue for Houston women’s basketball in loss to Kansas
Houston women’s basketball lost to Kansas 43-57 at the Fertitta Center Jan., 25.
Despite a competitive back-and-forth start to the game, the Cougars couldn’t maintain their lead and ultimately fell short of securing the win. Following a timeout late in the first quarter, Kansas went on a 9-0 run to take a 17-10 lead. Blair responded with a deep 3-pointer to end the quarter.
In the second quarter, Houston struggled to score, with a six-minute scoring drought that allowed Kansas to enter halftime on a 12-0 run.
In the first half, both teams battled with ball control, each committing nine turnovers. Merchant led UH in the first half with seven points and three rebounds.
In the third quarter, Houston made a strong push, forcing Kansas into three turnovers and held the Jayhawks scoreless for nearly five minutes.
Despite their efforts, Houston was unable to regain the lead, trailing by 14 at the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars continued to fight to close the gap; however, they struggled to gain momentum thanks to their committing eight fouls in the quarter.
Sophomore guard Summer Bostock led the charge with eight points in the period but it was not enough to defeat Kansas. The Jayhawks dominated the boards, finishing with 44 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Laia Conesa and freshman forward Regan Williams both recorded double-doubles, contributing 11 points and 10 rebounds each. Blair continued to fight the entire game, leading Houston with 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Houston women’s basketball falls to Cincinnati despite late comeback
Houston women’s basketball fought back from a double-digit deficit to cut the lead to just four points in the final minutes, but ultimately fell short in a 73-65 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Despite struggling in the first half and trailing by as many as 13 points, Houston stormed back in the third quarter with a 14-4 run, led by Blair and Cooke, who combined for 39 points in the games.
Blair drained a clutch 3-pointer, and Cooke converted a layup and free throw to bring Houston within four points at 47-43 with just under seven minutes remaining in the period. However, turnovers were costly for the Cougars as Cincinnati responded with a 7-0 run to regain control.
Graduate forward Jillian Hayes was dominant in the paint, finishing with 21 points and 18 rebounds to lead Cincinnati’s attack.
Houston shot 38% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc but was unable to match Cincinnati’s efficiency in the paint while struggling to control the boards, losing the rebounding battle 43-29.
Merchant added seven points and four steals, while Love contributed 12 points and five rebounds. Houston’s defense forced 11 turnovers but could not slow down Cincinnati’s offense late in the game.
With the loss, Houston falls to 5-16 on the season and 1-9 in conference play.
The Cougars will look to bounce back in their next matchup against UCF at the CFE arena on Saturday.
