Rice University
Tulsa
Tulsa Defeats Rice 71-60
1/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 29, 2009
Tulsa, Okla.-- Tulsa opened the second-half with a 9-0 run to take a 40-29 lead that it would not relinquish to win 71-60 over Rice at the Reynolds Center to win just its second Conference USA game. Tulsa is 6-13 overall and 2-5 in the league, while the Owls drop to 5-15 and 0-7 in loop action.
The Owls cut the deficit to 47-40 on consecutive baskets by Emery Carter, but the Golden Hurricane tallied the next four points to squelch the comeback. TU reached its largest lead of the game at 67-51 after going on a 10-4 run.
Tara Watts started the contest with a three-pointer, but TU promptly went on a 15-0. The Owls then countered with a 12-0 run of their own on a Brianna Hypolite trey, a bucket by Shyrelle Horne, a Hypolite drive, and two baskets by Watts, including a three-pointer.
Both teams pressed the whole game, which resulted in many turnovers, 28 by Rice and 19 by Tulsa. TU shot 43.8 percent from the field, while Rice was held to 32.7 percent.
Freshman Brianna Hypolite was the only Owl in double-figures with a game and career-high 20 points off the bench. Also Melissa Wittmayer blocked a career-high 5 shots and Megan Elliott scored 6 points and had a game and career-high 10 rebounds. Point guard D'Frantz Smart played only 17 minutes and scored just two points after missing the past four games with a foot injury.
Tulsa placed four in double-digit scoring with Kara Vaughan leading the charge with 15 points and Larrissa Williams followed with 14 points. Chanel Johnson scored 12 and Tatum Beer poured in 10.
The Owls now play at SMU on Saturday at 2 p.m.
