Junior guard Julia Blackshell-Fair’s 23 points were not enough for Houston to overcome the Cincinnati Bearcats as the Cougars lost 74-65 Tuesday afternoon at Fertitta Center.
Sophomore forward Tatyana Hill carried the Cougars offense to begin the contest as she scored all 14 of Houston’s first-quarter points.
Defensively, the Cougars forced eight turnovers in the opening period, but the Bearcats 53.8 percent shooting in the quarter made up for it and allowed Cincinnati to hold a five-point advantage entering the second period.
The teams went back and forth exchanging buckets. Houston cut the Cincinnati lead to four right before halftime, but the Bearcats finished out the quarter strong and were up by seven at the break.