HOUSTON – The HCU women's basketball team snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 56-51 win, extending visiting McNeese's losing streak to 13 games in a tightly-contested Southland Conference matchup that saw 11 lead changes and eight ties with the largest lead for either team reaching just six.
The Huskies (6-16, 1-10 SLC) took a 3-2 lead after an
N'Denasija Collins three early before McNeese (4-20, 0-11 SLC) evened the score with a free throw on the next possession. HCU scored consecutive buckets for a 7-3 advantage but in just over three minutes the Cowgirls had taken a 10-9 lead following a Julia Puente layup. The Huskies then closed the first quarter with a three from
Kennedy Wilson and a layup by
Jo Oly to go up 14-10.
In the second quarter, the Huskies went up by four multiple times early but a 6-0 run by the Cowgirls left HCU trailing by two, 20-18, with 4:00 remaining. HCU then held McNeese scoreless as part of a six-point run to end the half with a 24-20 lead.
McNeese's Emilia Tenbrock, the SLC's leading scorer, came alive early in the second half and scored 10 of the team's first 12 points within the first three and a half minutes, putting the Cowgirls ahead 32-30 with 6:34 on the clock. HCU answered right back, however, with a three-pointer from Wilson, a defensive stop and an Oly layup on the next possession to go back ahead, 35-32. In the final four minutes of the third quarter, the game saw three ties and McNeese take the lead twice, ultimately leading 42-40 heading in the final 10.
The Huskies opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, keeping the visitors off the board for more than five minutes. The Cowgirls didn't go away, though, pulling back within one on two occasions with the second coming at the 1:08 mark with the score 52-51 in HCU's favor. Following a missed layup attempt by McNeese, Wilson buried a pair of free throws with just 28 seconds to go to extend the Huskies' lead to three, 54-51. Puente drove into the lane on the next McNeese possession and had her layup blocked by HCU's
Yasmin Butler, her fifth blocked shot of the game, and Collins made a mid-range jump shot to put the game out of reach with just seven seconds left.
Collins led all players with 21 points for her third 20+ point effort in her last six games while also pulling down eight rebounds. The senior was 8-of-16 from the floor. Wilson finished with 16 points and five assists while Oly set a new career-high with 11 rebounds while adding seven points. Butler tied her career-best with five blocked shots and added four rebounds along with four points while Hannah Field ended the night with seven rebounds and five points.
HCU ended the game shooting 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field, 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from three and 73.3 percent (11-of-15) from the foul line while the Cowgirls connected on 31.9 percent (15-of-47) from the floor, 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from behind the arc and 80 percent (16-of-20) from the charity stripe. HCU held a 36-34 advantage on the boards and turned the ball over just 11 times to McNeese's 15 miscues.
HCU stays at home for a Saturday, Feb. 10, afternoon matchup with the UIW Cardinals at 1:00 p.m. in Sharp Gym.
