Houston guard Kierra Merchant (2) exhausted and shocked during the conclusion of an NCAA college women’s basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 22 2025 in Houston, Texas. | Joshua Braggs/The Cougar
Houston women’s basketball suffered its second consecutive opening-round exit in the Big 12 Tournament, as the Cougars’ 2024-25 season came to an end with a 66-58 loss to No. 9-seeded Colorado at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday.
Facing their largest deficit of the game at 53-35 with 7:47 remaining, Houston mounted a 15-4 run, fueled by eight points from redshirt senior guard Leilani Augmon, who finished with 13 points. The run cut the Cougars’ deficit to 57-50 with 1:24 left.
With 26 seconds remaining, junior forward Jade Masogayo fouled Blair on a made three-pointer.
Blair converted the ensuing free throw for a four-point play, narrowing the margin to 63-58.
However, three successful free throws from graduate guard Johanna Teder and Garzon sealed the win for Colorado, advancing them to the second round to face No. 8-seeded Arizona.
Despite the defeat, Houston won the turnover battle, committing 17 turnovers compared to Colorado’s season-high 33.
Four of Houston’s seven available players scored in double figures, including a game-high 15 points from graduate guard Laila Blair, who played her final game as a Cougar.
“What I’ve learned in my time here at Houston is accepting the challenge, and each group that I’ve been a part of showed that they can accept the challenge,” Blair said. “We all accepted it even though we knew the dynamics. We didn’t give in; we just kept fighting, so I’m appreciative to be a part of something where I can say I don’t have no regrets and gave it all that I had.”
With 2:15 remaining in the first quarter, Colorado went on a 14-0 run that stretched nearly five minutes into the second quarter, giving the Buffaloes a 27-12 lead.
Houston endured a scoring drought that lasted 7:45, with 13 consecutive missed shots, before Blair hit a jumper in the paint at 4:43. That basket sparked an 8-2 run for the Cougars, closing the gap to 29-20 at halftime.
Houston opened the third quarter with an 8-5 run, featuring three-pointers from graduate guard Eliya Love and redshirt sophomore guard Gigi Cooke, trimming the deficit to 34-28. However, Colorado responded with a 19-7 run extending into the fourth quarter.
The Buffaloes capitalized on six Houston turnovers and two triples from graduate forward Lior Garzon, who finished with a game-high 21 points.
Houston’s loss also concluded their season on a 13-game losing streak. Their last victory came on Jan. 14, when they upset No. 24 Oklahoma State 79-76 at the Fertitta Center.
This game marked the Cougars’ ninth contest of the season with seven or fewer players available, as injuries plagued coach Ronald Hughey’s roster throughout the year.
“We had some unfortunate things happen with injuries, especially when we had to play a couple of games with only five players,” Hughey said. “So just to be resilient, fight through, keep the faith, and represent the best we could with the University of Houston across our chests, I’d like to thank them for being able to do that.”
The Cougars finished last in the Big 12 with a 1-17 record and will end the 2024-25 season with a 5-25 overall record.
