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Rice University Athletics
Rice University
Lafayette
Owls Fall To Lafayette In Overtime, 79-76
12/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2008
EASTON Pa. -- Junior guard Tara Watts tied a career-high with 20 points to lead four Owls in double-figures, but the Rice women's basketball team fell to Patriot League foe Lafayette in overtime by the score of 79-76 Sunday afternoon at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.
Rice held a three-point lead, 68-65, after freshman guard D'Frantz Smart hit her fifth three-pointer of the game with 48 second left in regulation. Lafayette's Christina Zavocki however hit a three-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime.
After starting both the first and second halves so well, Rice struggled in the opening minutes of its first overtime game this season. Sophomore forward Morgan Mayse hit a jumper that tied the contest 70-70, but three-consecutive turnovers helped the Leopards go up by five, 75-70 with two minutes remaining in the extended play. The Blue & Gray managed to pull to within one, 77-76 after another basket by Mayse and both Watts and Emery Carter hit identical one-and-one free-throws. Lafayette's LaKeisha Wright hit the final basket of the game with ten seconds left and the Owls were just off on a three-point attempt in the closing seconds.
It was Rice's fifth defeat in a row and the second of two-game weekend road swing to the northeast. The Owls fell to 3-6 overall. The team still has three more away games left on the current five-game road stretch.
The Owls jumped out to a 15-6 lead in the first five minutes and were up by eight, 17-9, after a steal by Smart and quick bounce-pass to Maudess Fulton beat the defense for an easy layup. It was a good sequence, but Lafayette come back. Rice went scoreless for seven-and-a-half minutes during a 14-0 Lafayette run that put the Leopards up by seven. Lafayette had its largest lead, 29-21 with just over four minutes left in the period but the Owls fought back to tie the game at 31 at the half.
Mayse and Watts helped Rice come out firing in the second half, combining for nine points including a three-pointer. Watts' fourth three-pointer of the game completed a 20-10 Rice run to start the second half and the Owls were up by 10, 51-41, with 13 minutes left.
A little more than four minutes later Lafayette was back in front, 56-55. Rice led by three with 1:39 remaining in regulation, but Lafayette's Emily Garner converted a three-point play to tie it one more time before Smart's dramatic three at the end of the second period.
Smart was back on track with with 14 points, seven assists and five steals. Mayse finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Fulton steamed her way to tie a season-high with 14 points. (The box score is listed above.)
The Owls' next game is at the Ole Miss Holiday Classic on Dec. 29 in Oxford, Miss. The two-day, four-team, tournament features Tennessee-Martin, Northwestern State and host Mississippi. Rice meets the Skyhawks of Tennessee-Martin at 3:30 pm. The tournament's consolation and championship games are on Dec. 30.
