HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Houston Cougars used a strong fourth quarter to defeat the Montana Lady Griz 60-54 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Tuesday afternoon at Hofheinz Pavilion.

Houston, which trailed by three at halftime, outscored Montana 19-12 in the final period to secure the win. The Cougars improved to 6-5 overall, while Montana fell to 2-7.

The Cougars’ defense fueled the victory, generating 18 points off turnovers compared to just seven for Montana. Houston also dominated inside, scoring 34 points in the paint. Montana was led by a 19-point third-quarter surge but could not sustain the momentum in front of an announced crowd of 1,523.