Box Score

Post-Game Interview with Mary Gleason (video)

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist had three players finish in double figures and a career night from Joselyn Pugh, but the Huskies could not overcome a 21-point deficit late in the second half in a hard-fought 79-66 loss to visiting Chicago State Saturday evening from Sharp Gym.

Pugh led HBU (1-17, 0-2 GWC) with 17 points, surpassing her previous career mark of 14 point set against Utah Valley on Feb. 5, 2011. She went 7-of-12 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. She also tied a team high with seven rebounds, joining Devyn Weymouth, who finished with 15 points. Brittany Barton finished with 11 points. Weymouth (9-of-10) and Barton (6-of-6) combined to go 15-of-16 from the charity stripe. The Huskies shot 86 percent from the line, including an astounding 92 percent (12-of-13) in the second half.

The conference's second-leading scorer, Janay Dockery, led Chicago State (3-16, 1-1 GWC) with 30 points, as she hit six of the team's seven three pointers. Paris Williams finished with a double-double of 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Natalie Marlowe scored 10 points and dished out eight assists for the Cougars.

Chicago State came out firing to start the game, outscoring the Huskies 17-7 in the first five minutes. The Huskies cut it to within five points, 22-17, as Weymouth scored four-straight points before CSU's Jasmine Collins made a free throw to give the Cougars a 22-16 lead with 9:11 remaining in the first half.

The Huskies scored four-straight points – two free throws by Weymouth and a layup by Pugh – to cut the deficit to two, 22-20, with 8:19 remaining, but CSU outscored the Huskies 15-5 to lead at the half by 12, 37-25.

Weymouth led the Huskies in the first half with eight points, followed by Barton with seven. Pugh was tops on the glass with four rebounds. Dockery led all players with 16 points, while Williams nearly had a double-double in the first 20 minutes, scoring eight points and grabbing 10 boards.

The Cougars started the second half on a 12-2 run to lead, 49-27, in the first three minutes. The Huskies cut the deficit to 17 on three occasions in a span of a minute, but CSU's Tierra Williams hit a three to lead by 20, 56-36, prompting an HBU timeout.

With the Cougars leading 58-36, HBU used a 7-0 run to trail by 15, 58-43, with 9:42 left in the game. Pugh had five points and a rebound in that span.

Chicago State used a 9-3 run to lead by 21, 67-46, with 7:20 remaining in the game, before HBU went on a furious comeback, outscoring the Cougars 20-12 in the final minutes, but it was too little too late. The Huskies came as close as 11 points, 77-66, with 36 seconds remaining.

HBU will rest for a week before concluding its month-long home stand against conference-rival UT-Pan American on Sat., Jan. 28 at 7 pm.