Rice University
SMU
Owls Lose 67-58 at SMU
1/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2006
Dallas -
Rice couldn't overcome poor shooting and an impressive long-distance display by SMU as the Owls dropped a 67-58 decision to the Mustangs in Conference USA women's basketball action Sunday at Moody Coliseum.
As a team, Rice (6-11 overall and 2-4 in C-USA) shot 35.8 percent from the field, while SMU (10-9, 5-2) connected on 43.1 percent, including 10 of 21 three-point attempts.
"Once again we dug ourselves a deep hole," said Rice head coach Greg Williams. "We can't get down by 17 to 20 points on the road and expect to come back and win a lot of games."
SMU raced out to a 14-6 lead five minutes into the game on the strength of a pair of Katie Gross treys before Rice fought back with a three from Krystal Frazier and a pair of baskets by Lauren Neaves. Tiffany Loggins knocked down a pair of jumpers to tie the game at 17-17 with 10:02 to go, and Kadie Riverin put the Owls ahead 20-19 on a jump shot with 7:27 on the clock. That field goal was the final one of the half for Rice, though, as the Mustangs scored 15 straight points to take a commanding 34-20 lead with 1:34 to go, and the hosts went into the half with a 34-21 edge.
Gross hit two straight treys to open the second half, and SMU opened up a 17-point margin on a Janielle Dodds lay-in with 16:01 remaining. Samantha Stovall's three-pointer and a three and a jumper by Loggins cut the lead to seven with 9:55 to go, and Neaves narrowed the gap to four points at 52-48 with a lay-up at the 6:02 mark.
Kendall Shead nailed a long three on the next trip down the floor to put the Mustangs back in control, and after Frazier had to leave the game with an injury at the 3:12 point, Dodds dropped in a short shot with 1:56 on the clock to put SMU up 65-54 and end hopes of a Rice comeback.
Neaves finished with 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while Riverin added 14 points and Loggins had 11.
Gross led all scorers with 15, and three other Mustangs were in double figures -- Dodds 914), Shead (13) and Sarah Davis (11).
Rice opens a four-game homestand Friday at 7 pm at Autry Court as the UTEP Miners come to town.
