# Fertitta Center Erupts as Hunter Hits Game-Winner

- Link: https://exclusiveaccess.net/fertitta-center-erupts-as-hunter-hits-game-winner/
- Published: 2026-02-02T14:11:49-05:00
- Author: Ariel Quistiano

 

Redshirt senior guard Kyndall Hunter delivered a moment to remember Sunday, drilling
a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the University of Houston women’s basketball
team to a dramatic 72–70 victory over Cincinnati inside the Fertitta Center.

The win marked Houston’s first Big 12 Conference victory in 383 days, as the Cougars
improved to 7–14 overall and 1–9 in league play. Hunter led all scorers with a season-
high 23 points, punctuated by the game-winning shot. Junior guard Kierra Merchant
added 15 points, while graduate forward Amirah Abdur-Rahim chipped in 13.

Cincinnati (8–14, 3–7 Big 12) placed three players in double figures, led by Caliyah
DeVillasee’s 21-point performance.

Houston set the pace early, opening the game with confidence and taking a 16–11 
lead after the first quarter. Hunter scored the Cougars’ first basket and helped
spark an early 8–3 run. Merchant scored six of her 15 points in the opening frame.

The second quarter featured a back-and-forth battle, with Cincinnati tying the game
at 23. Houston responded behind Hunter’s steady scoring, a three-pointer from freshman
Kayla King, and a three-point play from Abdur-Rahim to carry a 35–31 advantage into
halftime.

Cincinnati came out strong in the third quarter, outscoring Houston 11–6 to briefly
take its first lead since the opening period. The Cougars answered with a decisive
12–2 run to regain control and went into the fourth quarter ahead 53–47.

Abdur-Rahim, Hunter, and Merchant accounted for all 19 of Houston’s fourth-quarter
points, with Hunter scoring 10 in the final frame. The Cougars led by as many as
seven, but Cincinnati closed with a 9–2 run to tie the game at 67.

After trading free throws in the final minute, Cincinnati took a 70–69 lead with
seconds remaining. Following a Houston timeout, Merchant found Hunter open in the
corner. Hunter rose and buried the three at the buzzer, sealing the Cougars’ thrilling
victory and igniting the Fertitta Center crowd.