American Athletic Conference Tournament, Houston vs Cincinnati

Photos by Dominic Ceraldi

No. 6 Houston took down No. 11 Cincinnati, 67-45, in the third game of the 2022 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Monday, March 7, at Dickies Arena.

With the win, Houston advances to face No. 3 Tulane in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 8 at 9 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Central on ESPN+.

The Cougars (15-14) were led by Laila Blair, who led all scorers with 22 points, and Tatyana Hill, who tied the Championship single-game record with six steals. Houston forced 18 turnovers and held a 28-14 advantage in the paint. The Cougars also had 26 fast break points to zero for Cincinnati (11-17).

Cincinnati was led by Emerita Mashaire with nine points.

Houston jumped out to an 18-7 lead after the first quarter. The Cougars extended their advantage in the second quarter to 28, but Cincinnati used a 7-0 run late in the second quarter to cut into the lead, and Houston led 34-20 at the half.

Courtesy 2022 American Athletic Conference (theamerican.org)