Rice University
SMU
Owls Lead From Start To Finish, Beat SMU 61-58
1/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2010
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Like two bloated and fatigued boxers Rice and SMU slugged their way through 40 contested and aesthetically unappealing minutes Thursday night at Tudor Fieldhouse, neither inclined to surrender an inch to the other no matter how many missed shots or turnovers they accumulated.
While the runs alternated at a staccato pace, the Owls had one advantage on their side of the ledger, and the confidence boost they received from having defeated Marshall and East Carolina in similarly heart-pounding fashion played a part in their ability to fend off SMU.
Having led from the opening tip, the Owls were resistant to the notion of blowing their lead at the end and held on the edge the Mustangs 61-58.
"We've learned to win games and finish games; we've had a lot of close ones lately," said Owls senior guard Tara Watts, who scored all 11 of her points in 20 second-half minutes. "Really all it's been is making big plays right at the end. We've been getting offensive rebounds, we've been getting layups, we've just been taking care of the ball when we need to."
Perhaps the three biggest plays came within the final 35 seconds and with the Owls (9-10, 3-3 Conference USA) clinging to a three-point lead.
After coming up empty on a series of possession where they initiated their offense too late in the shot clock, the Owls were whistled for an offensive foul when D'Frantz Smart plowed into SMU forward Haley Day with 42.8 seconds left. But on the other end of the court, the Owls extended their defense and coaxed SMU guard Brittany Gilliam into a tough diagonal pass that soared over teammate Jillian Samuels and out of bounds with 32.3 seconds remaining. The Owls followed by solving the Mustangs' full-court pressure twice, netting two uncontested Jessica Goswitz layups that helped them withstand a Samantha Mahnesmith free throw with 17.2 seconds left and Gilliam 3-pointer four ticks later.
"I just looked up the court and I saw Jess wide open, and for a minute I was puzzled. I didn't know it was her and I didn't know she was by herself," said Smart, who had with 11 points, eight assists and six boards. "I'm glad she made the layup because often when you're that wide open people tend to miss. I'm glad they decided to run (the same defense twice).
Said Goswitz, who scored a team-high 15 points: "Once I got the ball and no one was in front of me, I was like, `Wow. I guess I'll go for the layup.'"
For most of the game layups weren't guaranteed conversions. The Owls raced to a 24-7 lead while SMU (14-5, 4-2) missed 15 of its first 18 shots, but when the Mustangs settled in defensively, the Owls began turning the ball over in bunches. They had 11 in the first half and added three more less than three minutes into the second half, enabling SMU to pull to within 33-28 with 18:06 left via a 9-0 run. But the Mustangs were just as inefficient offensively, committing 16 turnovers while shooting only 33.3 percent. The Owls finished with 21 turnovers and missed 41 of their 63 shots, but their defensive effort forced Gilliam into a 2-for-14 first half. Gilliam posted a game-high 24 points and misfired only twice on eight shots in the second half, but the hole was too deep.
And, just like they did against Marshall and East Carolina, the Owls extended possessions with offensive rebounds at critical junctures. Rice produced 21 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds, including a key snag by Candice Ashford that led to Watts' 3 with 5:44 left. The Owls made just four shots down the stretch, but their moxie and mettle were more than enough to preserve a lead they grabbed at the start.
"If we're going to win a game we need to hustle after those boards," Watts said. "Sometimes we're a good shooting team, sometimes we're not, and everyone has to get after the ball. That's what we've been doing."
