University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball Team Hosts Houston In Conference USA Action
1/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2009
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss women's basketball team returns home to host Houston in a Conference USA game Thursday night at 7 p.m. The game has been designated as "Pack the House."
Admission for fans wearing gold gets into the game for just $2. It is also Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night where all faculty and staff can present their staff ID at the ticket booth to receive four free tickets. Each athletics team will have the opportunity to earn champ cup points for their attendance. The Lady Eagle softball team will host an autograph session at the conclusion of the game.
The Lady Eagle game can be heard on WXHB-FM 96.5 with the "Voice of the Lady Eagles" Josh West providing play-by-play action with former coach Kay James as the color analyst.
Southern Miss is 10-7 overall and 3-1 league play following a 69-64 win over UCF in which Pauline Love led the way with her seventh consecutive double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Amber Eugene added 12 points. Love continues to lead the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, while Helgeson is averaging 10.2 points.
As a team, Southern Miss is averaging 69.3 points and 41.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 66.1 percent from the line. The Lady Eagles have connected on 67-of-220 from behind the arc.
Houston comes into the game riding a three-game winning streak with an 11-5 record and 3-1 in league play, after an 83-65 over Memphis. Brittney Scott paced four Cougar players with a game-high 25 points, while Roxana Button scored 14, Porsche Landry and Courtney Taylor added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Taylor also grabbed 12 rebounds.
Head Coach Joe Curl is back with his team after spending all of last season recovering from a heart attack. He is in his 11th season at the helm and returns nine letterwinners, including two starters from last year's team. Courtney Taylor leads Houston in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.2 points and 11.1 rebounds, while Brittney Scott adds 12.9 points and Roxana Button chips in 10.6 per game. The Cougars are averaging 68.0 points and 41.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 67.0 percent from the charity stripe.
This is the 20th meeting between the two teams and Southern Miss trails the series with Houston, 10-9. The two teams met twice last season, with Houston winning at home and USM defeating the Cougars in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinals.
Following the Houston game, the Lady Eagles travel to Houston for a Sunday game at Rice. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
