Rice University
Tulane
Berezhynska Leads Owls to 61-52 Upset of Tulane
1/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2007
New Orleans, La. -
Valeriya Berezhynska scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds to lead Rice to a 61-52 upset win over Tulane Sunday at Fogelman Arena. The 6-4 center shot 50 percent from the field and canned two three-pointers as the Owls improved to 8-8 overall and 1-2 in Conference USA, and broke a five-game losing skid. Tulane was led by Jami Montagnino's 19 points as the Green Wave fell to 12-4 overall and 1-2 in league play.
Kadie Riverin added 12 points for Rice, while Krystal Frazier had 10. Tiffany Loggins hauled down 11 rebounds to match her career high.
The Owls rolled out to an early 7-2 lead behind a basket from Berezhynska and a trey from Frazier, but Montagnino sank a pair of jumpers to close the gap to one with 15:42 left in the half. Berezhynska hit her first three-pointer after a jumper by Loggins, and Rice opened up a 10-point margin on another Berezhynska layup with 12:37 to go. A pair of free throws by Riverin put the Owls up 20-9 at the 10-minute mark, and seven minutes later, Tara Watts knocked down a three to make it 28-17 Rice. Montagnino and Alendra Brown made jumpers to bring the Green Wave back within seven before Maudess Fulton's basket and a Riverin free throw closed out the half with the Owls up 31-21.
Tulane popped in six straight points to open play in the second half, and D'Aundra Henry tied the game at 36-36 on a layup with 16:06 left. Nikki Luckhurst drained a three a minute later to put Tulane ahead by one before Fulton tied it at 40-40 with 12:14 remaining. The Owls scored six points in a row, including another Frazier trey, but the Green Wave battled back to tie it up on a layup by Luckhurst with 6:49 on the clock. Megan Valicevic gave the hosts the lead on a layup 43 seconds later, but after a Fulton three-pointer gave the Owls the lead again at 50-48, it was all Rice the rest of the way.
Rice returns home to host Marshall Thursday at 7 pm at Autry Court.
