Rice University
SMU
Neaves, Berezhynska Lead Owls Past SMU
2/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2006
Houston -
Lauren Neaves had her 12th double-double of the season and Valeriya Berezhynska matched her career scoring high to lead Rice over SMU 71-56 in Conference USA women's basketball action at Autry Court. The win moved the Owls (12-12 and 8-5) into a four-way tie for second in the league with SMU (13-12, 8-5), Marshall and Southern Miss.
Neaves had 18 points and 11 rebounds as Rice won its fourth straight and sixth of the last seven games. Berezhynska added 16 points and nine boards.
"This was a tremendous all-around effort tonight," said Rice head coach Greg Williams. "SMU is a tough team and we knew they beat us from the outside last time, so we adjusted and covered that well. Every win down the stretch is important, and we need to carry this momentum into Sunday's game against Tulsa."
SMU racked up an 8-4 lead to open the game before a Kadie Riverin three-pointer and a pair of Berezhynska lay-ups and a trey put Rice up 14-8 with 12:14 to go. It was the first three-pointer of Berezhynska's career. Neaves hit a lay-up, and Tiffany Loggins followed with a pair of free throws and a three to put the Owls up by 10 at 25-15 with 7:10 on the clock.
Juli Colli's trey and an Elbie Gates lay-up cut the lead to six at 26-20 before Rice went on a 14-0 run to close out the half. Neaves converted a pair of charity shots and a lay-up and Samantha Stovall hit a jumper to give Rice a 30-20 edge, and Neaves scored the next five points as the Owls shut down the Mustangs defensively. A Berezhynska lay-up and Riverin three sent Rice into the half with a 40-20 lead. The Owls shot 36.1 percent from the field in the first half, while SMU shot a paltry 22.9 percent.
Berezhynska opened play in the second half with a lay-up, but SMU's Sarah Davis canned a trey and Janielle Dodds made a basket and a free throw to cut it back to 42-26 with 18:18 left. Riverin knocked down a jumper and Neaves hit two free throws and a jump-shot to put the Owls back up by 20 at 48-28, and consecutive buckets by Catherine DuPont and Stovall gave Rice its biggest lead of the game at 56-32 with 12:56 to go.
The Mustangs scored six straight to move back within 16 at 61-45 at the 8:39 mark, but Rice kept up the defensive pressure and scored key baskets down the stretch to come away with the win.
Riverin chipped in 12 points and four assists for the Owls, and Loggins added 10 points and four boards. Dodds led SMU with 16 points, while Juli Colli had 10 points and Gates had a game-high 12 rebounds. Rice shot 39.7 percent from the field to 31.4 percent for the Mustangs, and the Owls won the battle of the boards 47-45. Rice also had a season-low 10 turnovers.
The Owls host league-leading Tulsa Sunday at 2 pm at Autry Court in a game to be televised by CSTV. It is the final home game of the season, and four seniors -- DuPont, Latrice Elder, Amber Cunningham and Rosyland Jeffries -- will be honored before the game.
