Rice University Athletics
Owls Open Women's Hoops Practice
10/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2006
Houston -
Picked for the second year in a row as preseason favorite to win the Conference USA title, Rice's women's basketball team opened official practice Friday at Autry Court under the leadership of second-year head coach Greg Williams.
The Owls went 18-14 overall and 11-5 in league play last year on the way to a fifth Women's National Invitation Tournament bid, and return more than 80 percent of their scoring and rebounding. The team's top six scorers return, led by All-America candidate Lauren Neaves, a 6-2 senior forward from Cooper City, Fla.
Neaves won first-team all-C-USA honors last year and was also on the all-tournament first team after leading Rice to a second-place finish. She was one of only 25 players nationally to average a double-double, and was among the nation's best in rebounding at 10.8 a game.
All-conference third-team guard Krystal Frazier also returns and is nearing full strength after recovering from an Achilles injury suffered late last season. Frazier was the team's leading scorer before being injured, and was one of the league's top defenders.
Rice welcomes three freshmen, led by Canadian national junior team guard Tara Watts of British Columbia. Watts won a silver medal over the summer at the FIBA Americas under-18 championships, leading her team in scoring in the final against Team USA.
After opening the season with an exhibition game at home against Lake Truck Line on Nov. 4, the Owls start regular-season play Nov. 10 in New Jersey as they visit Monmouth.
