Turnovers, three double-doubles spoil Houston’s senior day celebrations in loss to UCF

In the back half of Big 12 play, Houston women’s basketball faced multiple opportunities to sneak in wins against the league’s lower portion of competition. 

When the Cougars held a 47-43 lead at 5:43 in the third quarter over 15th-place UCF, 15 minutes sat between them and a chance to capture that second opportunity in a regular season finale.

But despite double-figure spotlight finishes from two members of coach Matthew Mitchell’s outgoing senior class and just five turnovers by that point, the amount ballooned to 12 by afternoon’s end.

It helped the Knights outscore Houston 29-15 the rest of the way en route to handing it a 72-62 senior day loss Sunday at Fertitta Center, leaving the Cougars with a one-win conference mark in back-to-back seasons.

“We were disappointed to have dropped that contest today,” Mitchell said. “We’d loved to have gotten a victory in our last home game on senior day, but you’ve got to give UCF a lot of credit.”

That credit lies heavily in the Knights taking advantage of Houston’s miscues while also winning the paint and rebounding battles behind three double-double performances, including junior center Khyala Ngodu’s 20 points and 10 boards. 

It took limiting their own mistakes and increasing aggressiveness inside for the Knights to take an 11-0 run from the 2:47 mark of the third quarter five seconds into the fourth to jump to a full three-possession lead at 58-49. 

However, in taking advantage of just one UCF make over the next 6:46, the Cougars elapsed an 8-2 run, including makes from graduate forward Amirah Abdur-Rahim and senior guard TK Pitts in capping off a combined 25 points with 15 rebounds between the two. 

With its deficit down to 60-59 with 3:09 remaining, all Houston could muster was one triple from freshman guard Kayla King, as 10 makes at the free throw line were enough for the Knights to hold their efforts firm.

When mixing ball security issues and late offensive inefficiencies, it amounted to the Cougars concluding the first regular season of the Mitchell era on an eight-game losing streak, with a 7-22 overall record. 

Prior to tip-off, Abdur-Rahim, Pitts, graduate guard Briana Peguero, and graduate forward Amani Bartlett were all honored as outgoing seniors who gave launch to a new era of the program with the limited time remaining in their careers. 

Despite no winning effort in the aftermath, Pitts and Abdur-Rahim brought positive light in reflecting on their contributions towards a program rebuild filled with ups and downs. 

“I think that [Mitchell] is building something very, very, very special,” Pitts said. “Just to be the foundation of that, regardless of the stats, regardless of our record, whatever the case may be, I think we’ve really built something special together.” 

That togetherness also resembled with her reunited teammate in Abdur-Rahim, who emotionally walked onto the court with Mitchell in the presentations. 

“I wish I had more time,” she said. “But God’s timing is perfect and I’m glad I had this one year with him, so it’s bittersweet.”

Abdur-Rahim’s lone season with Mitchell culminated in building off a “rocky start” to her offseason towards building value in leadership while elevating excellence both on and off court. 

“I think the time we’ve spent together and getting to know her journey, know her life and the ways that I can help her as a young woman and also as a basketball player have been very meaningful for me,” Mitchell said. 

With these departures having been pivotal pieces at the starting point of the rebuild, it naturally leaves spots in the roster for Mitchell to replenish, for however far away the season’s end is for the Cougars.

His inaugural campaign is by no means over, as Houston will prepare for the Big 12 conference tournament at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. 

Having clinched the No. 16 seed finishing last in the conference, the Cougars will face No. 9-seed BYU in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m.