Rice University
3-26, 0-16CUSA
SMU
10-19, 4-12CUSA
Rice Falls to SMU, 61-58
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2008
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KATY, Texas - SMU freshman Papa Dia scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for his third career double-double and the Mustangs held off a late Rice run to post a 61-58 victory in both teams' regular-season finale.
With the win, SMU improved to 10-19 and 4-12 in Conference USA play. Rice heads into next week's Conference USA Men's Basketball Tournament at 3-26 and 0-16.
Rice will play Southern Miss in the 8:30 p.m. first-round game of the C-USA Tournament in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday.
On Saturday, Rice trailed SMU 28-15 at halftime after shooting just 19 percent in the first half (4-of-21). The Mustangs scored two early baskets in the second period to stretch their lead to 17 before the Owls mounted their comeback.
At one point, a 9-0 run sparked by a Lawrence Ghoram offensive rebound and putback basket pulled Rice to within four, 36-32 with 13:10 to play. Later, Patrick Britton's three-point play at the 11:12 mark cut the lead to one, 38-31 and after SMU's Derrick Roberts missed the front end of a one-and-one Britton tracked down his own miss and hit a jumper to give the Owls their only lead 39-38 with 10:43 left.
SMU would stretch the lead back out to as many as nine, capped by a three-point play by Papa Dia.
Rice would comeback to make it a one-possession game before Dia sank an inside jumper and dived for a steal of a loose ball which would lead to a Roberts' trey at the 2:39 mark, giving the Mustangs a 57-50 lead.
Three-pointers by Bryan Beasley and Ghoram would keep the game close. Jon Killen's free throws with 17 seconds left gave SMU a 61-58 lead. On the Owls' final possession, Aleks Perka missed a three-point attempt but followed his shot and got off another attempt before the horn sounded.
Ghoram led Rice with 17 points and seven rebounds. Patrick Britton, one of three seniors introduced prior to the final home game but the only one of the group to dress out due to injuries, finished with 16 points. He also had three steals and three rebounds in 38 minutes of playing time.
After shooting 19 percent in the first half, Rice was 15-of-25 from the field in the second period (60 percent) and knocked down 4-of-8 three-pointers in the half.
Bamba Fall added 14 points off the bench for the Mustangs while Roberts scored 12.
