Houston, TX– The University of Houston Women’s Basketball team closed out its regular season on Sunday with a 73-61 loss to UCF on Senior Day at Fertitta Center. Despite the defeat, graduate guard Laila Blair etched her name further into program history, moving into second place on Houston’s all-time scoring list.
Blair, playing her final home game as a Cougar, surpassed Sharion Higgins’ career total of 1,957 points, finishing the game with 18 points to bring her career tally to 1,960.
Graduate guard Eylia Love led Houston (5-24, 1-17 Big 12) with a game-high 20 points, while redshirt sophomore Gigi Cooke contributed 11, including six from the free-throw line.
UCF (11-17, 4-14 Big 12) secured its fourth conference win behind a strong performance from Kaitlin Peterson, who scored 25 points. Nevaeh Brown added 13, while Khyala Ngodu recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Emely Rodriguez chipped in 11 points for the Knights.
Houston started strong, fueled by Love’s 11 first-quarter points, and took a 21-16 lead after the opening frame. The Cougars extended their advantage to 26-20 midway through the second quarter, but UCF responded with a decisive 16-2 run, taking a 36-28 lead into halftime.
Cooke sparked Houston early in the third with a three-point play, cutting the deficit to five, but UCF countered with a 6-0 run to extend its lead back to double digits. The Cougars struggled offensively down the stretch, managing just one field goal in the final four minutes of the quarter.
A buzzer-beating layup from Peterson pushed UCF’s advantage to 56-40 heading into the final period.
The Knights built their lead to 20 points in the fourth, but Houston fought back to trim the deficit to 10. However, the Cougars were unable to score from the field in the final two minutes, allowing UCF to close out the victory.
Next Up:
Houston shifts its attention to the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, where the Cougars will face No. 9 seed Colorado (18-11, 9-9 Big 12) in the first round. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
