Whithaven Win over Houston

Whitehaven Finds Another Gear, Pulls Away From Houston

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When Houston fought its way back into the game and tied the score, Whitehaven had a choice to make.

Fold—or fight back.

The Tigers chose the latter.

Whitehaven answered Houston’s comeback with 15 unanswered points, pulling away for a hard-fought 43-28 victory Friday night in a game that featured big plays, momentum swings and plenty of physicality.

Houston came out ready to compete and refused to let Whitehaven run away with the game. Every time the Tigers appeared ready to create some breathing room, the Mustangs answered with a score of their own.

That fight eventually brought Houston all the way back to tie the game at 28.

But that’s when Whitehaven found another gear.

Junior quarterback Jourdin Shelton helped lead the Tigers’ offensive attack, keeping the pressure on Houston and helping Whitehaven regain control when the game was hanging in the balance.

The Tigers also finished strong defensively. Whitehaven held Houston scoreless in the fourth quarter while adding seven points of its own, turning a tied game into a 15-point victory.

For Whitehaven, the win was an important response after opening the season with a loss to Ensworth in Nashville. The Tigers showed Friday night that they can handle adversity and, more importantly, finish when the game is on the line.

Houston deserves credit for battling throughout the night and making Whitehaven work for every inch. But in the end, the Tigers made the plays that mattered most.

Whitehaven 43, Houston 28.