Rice University
Houston
Rice Loses 75-62 to Houston
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 3, 2006
Houston -
Tye Jackson scored a game-high 24 points, including 18 in the second half, and Houston overcame a 12-point Rice lead in the final 15 minutes of play as the Cougars swept the season series from the Owls with a 75-62 win at Autry Court in Conference USA women's basketball action Friday. Houston improved to 9-11 overall and 6-3 in league play with the win, while Rice dropped to 8-12 and 4-5.
The Owls raced out to a 20-8 lead with 11:00 left in the first half after a pair of jumpers and a three-pointer from Tiffany Loggins, but Houston fought back and went on a 15-0 run over the next six minutes. Kadie Riverin's lay-up and a pair of free throws by Valeriya Berezhynska put Rice up 24-23, and the Owls stretched the lead to five on buckets by Lauren Neaves and Kadie Riverin and two charity shots by Samantha Stovall. Riverin swished a trey with eight seconds left to send the Owls into the half with a 33-29 lead.
Jackson, who poured in 37 points in Houston's 79-72 win on Jan. 15, took over the game midway through the second period. She hit a jumper with 14:19 to go to cut Rice's lead to 48-38, and after Jackson sank a trey, Nakazi Glover popped in three straight lay-ups to tie the game at 48-48. Ryan Meyers knocked down a pair of jumpers, and Jackson then hit a three-pointer and a lay-up to put the Cougars ahead 59-52.
After another Meyers lay-up, Catherine DuPont and Berezhynska hit two free throws each and Stovall scored on a jumper for the Owls to cut the Cougar lead to 63-58. Stovall's lay-up with 2:22 to go to make it 69-62 was the final Rice score, as the Cougars iced the win with four points from Sha'Ratta Hawkins and a jumper from Glover with two seconds left.
Neaves finished with 15 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, and Berezhynska added 10 points and a career-high 11 boards and three blocked shots. Stovall chipped in a career-best 13 points and a career-high five assists.
In addition to her scoring exploits, Jackson had a game-high eight assists for Houston to go with five steals. Glover added 18 points and Hawkins had 13 points and a team-high eight boards. Houston had only five turnovers, while grabbing 17 steals.
Rice hosts East Carolina Monday at 7 pm at Autry Court.
