Preview: Montana Lady Griz at Houston Cougars

HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Houston Cougars look to get back to .500 when they host the struggling Montana Lady Griz in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Houston (5-5) enters the contest seeking to rebound from a 63-41 road loss to New Mexico on Saturday. The Cougars have been inconsistent, alternating wins and losses over their past six games. A player to watch for Houston is Kierra Merchant, who scored 10 points in the loss to New Mexico and had an 18-point, 6-rebound performance in a win over High Point on Nov. 23.

Montana (2-6) arrives in Texas on a four-game losing streak, with its last victory an 86-56 rout of North Dakota on Dec. 3. The Lady Griz are coming off an 81-65 home loss to Saint Thomas (Minn.) on Dec. 6. In that game, guard Avery Waddington led Montana with 21 points. Waddington has been a bright spot, averaging 11.3 points per game and coming off a 35-minute, 21-point effort in the team’s most recent outing.

The game represents a final tune-up for both teams before challenging stretches. Houston will embark on a rigorous Big 12 Conference schedule starting with a trip to West Virginia on Dec. 21. Montana, a member of the Big Sky Conference, will continue a Texas road swing with games at Abilene Christian and Tarleton State later this week.

Historically, the programs have rarely met. Tuesday’s matchup will hinge on whether Houston’s defense can contain Waddington and capitalize on Montana’s difficulties scoring, as the Lady Griz have been held under 70 points in six of their eight games. For Montana, slowing Merchant and improving defensive cohesion will be critical to ending its skid.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.