Rice University
SMU
SMU Defeats Rice 68-52
1/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2009
Dallas -- With four players scoring in double-digits, SMU defeated Rice 68-52 at Moody Coliseum Saturday afternoon.
The Mustang balanced attack was led by Brittany Gilliam's 14 points, while Christine Elliott added 11. Delisha Wills and LaShandra each scored 10.
Mayse led Rice with 18 points, just one shy off of her career-high. Fulton finished with 10 points.
After two made treys by Megan Elliott and Tara Watts that made the score 36-35 in favor of the Ponies, SMU (14-7, 7-1) then scored the next 17 points for an 18-point margin (53-35). A drive by Brianna Hypolite ended the Rice scoring drought, but the eventual 20-2 run that gave the Mustangs a 56-37 lead was too much for the Owls to overcome.
Rice would make only 3 of its first 18 shots to begin the first 12:27 of the second-half and finished the second-half shooting 23.5 percent (8-34). SMU shot 52 percent in the second-half.
SMU reached its biggest first-half lead (13-7) at the 15:02 mark as the Mustangs' Delisha Wills went 4-6 from the field to tally 8 points in the first five minutes.
The Owls (5-16, 0-8) then proceeded to go on an 11-2 run to take an 18-15 lead. The two squads battled back and forth as Morgan Mayse came of the Rice bench to score the Owls' next 10 points to bring them to within one at 25-24. A late jumper by Maudess Fulton cut the SMU lead to 30-28 at the half. Mayse would finished the half with 10 points and Fulton added 8.
Rice shot 38 percent from the field, while SMU shot at a 45.2 clip in the first period.
The Owls host Houston on Wednesday, February 4 at 7 p.m.
