Rice University
Houston
Neaves Leads Owls Past Cougars
1/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2007
Houston -
Lauren Neaves recorded her 43rd career double-double, scoring 23 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, to lead Rice past Houston 70-56 in Conference USA women's basketball action Sunday at a raucous Autry Court. Neaves, the Owls' career rebounding leader, also blocked eight shots to tie her own school record as Rice (10-9, 3-3) beat the Cougars (5-11, 2-4) at home for the first time since 1996. It was also the Owls' first regular-season win over Houston since joining C-USA.
Kadie Riverin also had one of her best outings for Rice in front of 1,619 fans, scoring 16 points and dishing out five assists with no turnovers. The Owls held Cougar star Tye Jackson to only 16 points on 6-25 shooting.
Neaves opened the scoring on a layup, and Rice led until the 16:06 mark, when a Sunshine Misa-Uli bucket tied it at 8-8. The teams traded baskets before Sha'Quaylon McKinney put Houston up 11-10 on a free throw with 13:31 left, but after that Rice went on an 11-0 run keyed by two Riverin baskets. The Owls stretched the lead to 13 at 28-15 on a Neaves free throw with 6:32 to go, then Jackson's trey and free throw helped cut the margin to nine. Tara Watts canned a three-pointer with 2:51 left to give Rice a 35-25 lead, and the Canadian freshman hit a pair of charity shots to send the Owls into the half leading 37-27.
Misa-Uli scored for the Cougars to open the second half, but Neaves scored twice and Riverin added a jumper with 17:22 left to put the Owls up 43-29. Samantha Stovall's bucket a minute later increased the lead to 16, but Ashlee Joseph hit a free throw and a layup and Whitney James scored to bring the Cougars back within 11 at 47-36. After another James layup at the 13:10 mark, neither team scored for the next two minutes. Misa-Uli then knocked down two shots and James converted two free throws to cut Rice's lead to 53-44 with 8:01 on the clock.
After a Maudess Fulton jumper, Neaves scored the Owls' next 12 points to stretch the lead to 67-50 with 3:07 to go. Riverin and Fulton scored to make it 70-50, and after a Cougar free throw and bucket, Jackson swished a long three just before the buzzer.
Stovall had 10 boards for the Owls, who were abysmal from the free throw line, hitting only 13-31 attempts. Misa-Uli added 14 points for Houston, and Joseph had a team-high 11 rebounds. The Cougars shot only 30.1 percent from the field, going 22-73.
Rice hosts SMU Thursday at 7 pm at Autry Court.
