LUBBOCK, Texas - Houston used an early 18-1 run to set the tone against the Nicholls State University women's basketball team and the Colonels shot a season low 25 percent from the field as Nicholls was handed its third consecutive loss with a 65-47 defeat on Saturday afternoon at United Supermarkets Arena.
Nicholls (3-6), still searching for its first road win, will close out the weekend in the Athletes in Action Tournament on Sunday against UTSA. Tipoff is slated for 11 a.m.
Jenny Nash was the lone Colonel to reach double figures, finishing with a game-high 18 points. Nash was on point with her 3-point shot as she knocked down 5-of-10 from behind the arc and 6-of-14 overall. But the senior from Houston would not get much help on the offensive end of the floor as the rest of the team combined to make just 9-of-47 from the field.
Nash and
Taylor Morrison knocked down a 3-pointer each in the first eight minutes, helping Nicholls to an 11-9 lead over Houston (5-5). It would be the last lead for Nicholls, however, as the team managed only one point over the next nine minutes. A
Tia Charles free throw ended a 9-0 run by the Cougars at the 7:26 mark, but Houston put together another 9-0 run to take a commanding 27-12 lead.
A pair of
Shay Arnick free throws ended the 18-1 run, and Nash nailed another 3-pointer to bring the deficit to 27-17. Houston answered with four free throws before Nash made 1-of-2 at the line to send the Colonels into the locker room down 31-18.
Although the Colonel defense held UH to 34 percent from the field, the offense managed to make just 16 percent of its shots in the first 20 minutes.
In the early minutes of the second half, Nash sparked a surge, connecting on two 3-pointers before
Ekiya Gray made a bucket inside to make the score 34-26. But once again, the offense was non-existent for a long stretch, going scoreless for nearly six minutes as the Cougars scored 18 consecutive points to blow open the game at 52-26 with 10 minutes remaining.
Nicholls would get no closer than 17 points the rest of the way as Houston improved to 2-0 on the weekend.
The Cougars were led by Mariah Mitchell off the bench with 15 points. Houston shot just 36 percent from the field, but was stellar from behind the arc (6-of-14) and at the free throw line (19-of-22).
Following Sunday's game against UTSA, Nicholls will have a week off for the holidays before hosting Southern Miss on Monday, Dec. 29, in the squad's 2014 finale.
