Photo GalleryHOUSTON – For the second time in as many games, HBU used a smothering defense, holding visiting New Orleans to just 33 percent shooting, while four Huskies – led by junior forward
Anna Strickland's double-double – scored in double figures, as HBU defeated the Privateers, 63-45.
Strickland paced HBU (8-9 overall, 2-4 SLC) with her second double-double of the season with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. She posted game highs of three blocks and five assists, one shy of tying her career mark of six set against Huston-Tillotson last month.
Erin McGarrachan led the Huskies with 14 points, while also pulling down seven rebounds.
Tayler Jefferson and
Monet Neal came off the bench to score 13 and 12 points, respectively. Neal tied her career high of four assists.
Jewel Angelo came off the bench to tie the game high of 14 points to lead New Orleans (2-12 overall, 0-5 SLC). Yasmin Taylor had a big game for the Privateers, posting seven points and team highs of eight rebounds and four steals.
HBU scored the first four points of the game, but New Orleans battled back and forced four ties in a span of three minutes. Angelo's jumper at the 10:05-mark knotted the contest at 10-all, but, unfortunately for the Privateers, that was the last basket they would make for the next 9:50, as HBU outscored UNO, 17-1, before Taylor's layup with 55 seconds remaining in the opening half. A steal by
Meghan Shank resulting in a three-pointer by Jefferson capped a 17-0 run and forced UNO to take a timeout. The Huskies led New Orleans, 27-13, at the break. It was the second-fewest points allowed by HBU in a half this season and the fewest against a Division I opponent.
Neal led all scorers with eight points, while McGarrachan had six points and four rebounds. Strickland had six boards and four points. Halie Matthews and Angelo led UNO with four points apiece. HBU shot 45 percent from the floor compared to 27 percent for the Privateers.
New Orleans began the second half hitting back-to-back jumpers to cut the deficit to 10, 27-17, but HBU scored seven-straight points to bring the lead back up to 34-17 with 16:15 to go in regulation. Jefferson had three steals in the run. Following a made free throw, Jefferson stole the in-bounds pass, made the layup and the ensuing free throw. She then had another steal which resulted in two Strickland free throws.
The Privateers cut the deficit to 14 following a three-point play by Taylor, but HBU used a 17-8 run to take its largest lead of the game at 51-28 with just under seven minutes to go in the game.
UNO tried to come back, but never came as close as 17 points the rest of the way.
Jefferson and Angelo led their respective teams with 10 points apiece in the second half. McGarrachan added eight points for HBU, while Randi Brown chipped in with nine for UNO. The Huskies shot 50 percent in the second half and 47 percent in the game, while UNO shot 38 percent in the second half and 32 percent in the contest.
HBU hosts Lamar next Saturday, Jan. 24 at 4 pm, before concluding its four-game home stand against Abilene Christian Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 pm.
