In a hard-fought battle that showcased resilience and grit, Houston women’s basketball came up short against UCF, falling 56-70 at Addition Financial Arena on Feb. 1.
The loss led to Houston and UCF swapping places in the conference standings as Houston shifted to last with a 1-10 Big 12 record. Despite a thrilling back-and-forth first half, the Cougars couldn’t maintain their lead as fatigue set in, and UCF capitalized on Houston’s depleted roster.
With just six eligible players available due to injuries and personal circumstances, each UH player played the entire game without substitution. Although the Cougars had to battle through all 40 minutes, they fought intensely the entire game.
“Just go out and fight. We know what we are capable of,” coach Ronald Hughey said. “You just have to play up to that level every single night.”
Houston began the game with a burst, opening the contest on a 7-0 run. Their defense and rebounding efforts were impressive early on as they dominated the board in the first quarter, collecting 12 rebounds.
Despite Houston’s strong start, the Knights managed to close the gap and finished the quarter only trailing by three.
Midway through the second quarter, the pace shifted in favor of the Knights. Fatigue plagued the Cougars, and UCF went on a 10-0 run to take a strong lead 2at 5-19.
Houston tried to respond; however, they struggled to score offensively, culminating in a nearly three-minute scoring drought that sent the teams into halftime with UCF up 31-26.
UCF senior guard Kaitlin Peterson led the charge for the Knights, with 21 of the team’s 31 first-half points. The Cougars were led by graduate guard Laila Blair and sophomore guard Summer Bostock, who each finished the half with eight points.
To start the third quarter, Houston displayed a lock-down defensive effort and tied the score at 34, but fatigue began to show late in the quarter, and UCF took advantage by responding with a 14-0 run to regain the lead. Houston entered the fourth quarter in the deficit 38-50.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars continued to fight to close the gap, but UCF’s defense prevented Houston from finding its rhythm, and the Knights were able to secure the win.
UCF’s first conference win of the season was led by Peterson with 28 points and supported by sophomore forward Achol Akot with 14 rebounds. The Cougars were led by Blair with 19 points, followed by Bostock with 12.
Houston is now 5-17 on the season and 1-10 in the conference and will resume conference play Feb. 5 against Baylor.
