HOUSTON — In an exciting matchup on Tuesday night, Kierra Merchant led the charge for Houston with 20 points, while Gigi Cooke contributed 16 points, helping the Cougars secure a narrow 79-76 victory over the 24th-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls.
Eylia Love added 15 points to Houston’s tally, and Laila Blair chipped in with 10 points as the team established a commanding 26-point lead late in the third quarter. For Oklahoma State, Stailee Heard topped their scoring efforts with 17 points, while teammates Anna Gret Asi and Micah Gray each scored 16 points, alongside Macy Huard who added 11 points. Oklahoma State staged a strong comeback, outpacing Houston 34-17 in the fourth quarter to bring the game to a nail-biting finish.
In the closing moments, Heard made a steal from Merchant with just five seconds remaining and dashed down the court. With no timeouts left, Heard attempted an open three-pointer, but it bounced off the rim, sealing Houston’s victory. Remarkably, despite committing three turnovers in the final minute, this marked Houston’s first triumph over a ranked opponent since February 12, 2023, when they topped South Florida, who was also ranked 24th at the time.
The Cougars, now 5-12 and 1-5 in the Big 12, had been struggling with nine losses in their last eleven games prior to this victory. They turned the game around with a 12-0 scoring run in the last four minutes of the first half, transforming a 28-27 deficit into a 39-28 lead. This was significant as it marked their first halftime advantage since their previous win on December 17, when they led Mississippi Valley State 53-21 at halftime.
Merchant was pivotal during this run, sinking two three-pointers, and continued to shine into the third quarter, contributing three layups to stretch the lead to 47-30. Houston maintained their scoring spree, achieving a robust 58-33 edge with 2:50 remaining in the third after Asi converted one of two free throws.
Oklahoma State, now 14-3 with a 4-2 conference record, is set to face UCF on Saturday, while Houston will travel to take on Baylor on Friday night.
