Rice University
SMU
Women's Hoops Falls to SMU in OT
2/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2008
HOUSTON - Tara Watts poured in a career-best 19 points, while Valeriya Berezhynska made a triumphant return to the starting lineup contributing 16 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes, but the Rice women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 70-68 overtime decision to SMU Thursday evening at Sharp Gym on the Houston Baptist campus.
Rice (8-15, 1-8 C-USA) had a chance to send the game into a second overtime, but Watts was swarmed on the perimeter in the closing seconds. Brittany Gilliam tied Watts up with help from Jillian Samuels and SMU (16-6, 6-3 C-USA) got the ball on the possession arrow before running out the clock. Gilliam headlined the Mustangs with 18 points.
The Owls struggled at the free throw line, converting on 11-of-21. SMU knocked down 24-of-29 of their attempts at the line, including 9-of-10 in overtime.
"We had a lot of golden opportunities that we didn't take advantage of," head coach Greg Williams said. "There was a 13-point difference at the free throw line. That's the ball game when you lose by two in overtime."
Kadie Riverin added 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. The Ottawa native passed Krystal Frazier and moved into the program's Top 10 scoring list. Morgan Mayse tallied nine points and six rebounds for the Owls.
After a Delisha Willis jumper put SMU ahead 58-53 with 2:48 remaining, Rice fired back with six straight points behind a pair of Berezhynska baskets coupled with a Riverin steal and lay-up at the 1:20 mark.
Willis split a trip to the line 20 seconds later to even the score at 59-59. Willis finished with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting for the Mustangs.
Berezhynska had a chance on the next possession to put the Owls back in front, but a left-handed lay-up was left short.
SMU cleared out Wills, who drove past Tiffany Loggins as the clock ticked down. Wills dribbled the ball off of her leg with one second left and the game went to overtime.
"We felt that we were competing hard and had a defecit that we could come back from," Watts said. "The worst part is knowing that this was a game we should have won if we hit our free throws. We just couldn't pull out the win in the end."
SMU fired out to a 19-9 advantage in the opening half as Gilliam poured in nine points. The Owls surged back to 19-17 as four different players scored before SMU regained the momentum and took a 31-25 lead into the locker room.
The Owls return to the hardwood Saturday against Tulsa. Tip-off is slated for 5pm at Hofheinz Pavilion on the UH campus due to HBU's Homecoming Weekend.
