Rice University
Louisiana-Monroe
ULM Warhawks Defeat Owls 55-46
12/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2010
Prair View A&M vs. Long Beach State Box Score in PDF Format 
ULM vs. Rice Box Score in PDF Format
Houston -- Kassie Courtney scored a game-high 13 points including a clutch three-pointer in the waning moments of the contest to lead Louisiana-Monroe (5-3) to a 55-46 victory over the Rice Owls (4-4) in the second game of Rice's Gene Hackerman Invitational. Prairie View A&M won the first contest of the Hackerman Invitational by defeating Long Beach State 62-52. LBSU will play Rice on Saturday at 5 p.m., while the Lady Panthers of PVAMU and ULM fight for the championship of the Hackerman Invitational at 7:30 p.m.
Gene Hackerman Invitational Results/Schedule
Fri.
Prairie View A&M 62, Long Beach State 52
ULM 55, Rice 46
Sat.
Long Beach State vs. Rice - 5 p.m.
ULM vs. Prairie View A&M (Championship) - 7:30 p.m.
The start of the second half saw ULM go on a 9-2 run to forge a 30-23 lead. Rice countered with an 8-2 run of its own, before the Warhawks' Priscilla Mbiandja converted a three-point play that kick-started a 10-2 ULM that gave the Warhawks a 44-33 lead at 11:36.
Consecutive buckets by Mayse, McKinney, Elliott, and Hypolite brought the Owls back to 44-41 at the under 8 minute timeout (7:38). ULM's Kassie Courtney spoiled the Owls' mini-run with a three-pointer to push the Warhawk lead to 47-41. Another McKinney basket brought the Owls to within three (49-46), but ULM pulled away again by countering with two free throws and two field goals for the final margin 55-46.
Assistant coach Jae Cross filled in for an ailing head coach Greg Williams in the post-game press conference. Williams actually conducted practice this past week up in the stands to shield the team.
"Free throw and lay-ups hurt us a lot during this game," commented Cross. "We were able to pull back from 13 points down and get it to 3 points down. There was some intensity there, but it just wasn't from start to finish."
Brianna Hypolite was the lone Owl in double-digit scoring with 11 points. Freshman Jessica Kuster had 9 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, which ties her career-high rebounding mark.
Besides Courtney, other Warhawks in double-digit scoring include Elizabeth Torres who came off the bench to score 12 points with a game-high 7 assists and Mbiandja added 10 points and 10 boards.
In the first game, Prairie View A&M was down 33-32 at the 18:27 mark in the second-half when it rattled off 11 unanswered points to take a commanding 43-33 lead at 15:11. LBSU got to within two at 9:48 (47-45), but the Lady Panther again went on a run, this time 7-0, to forge a 54-45 lead. Prairie View's Dominique Smith led all scorers with 21 points, while Siarra Soliz and Robin Jones added 15 and 14 points respectively. Tipesa Moorer had 15 for the 49ers, while Ella Clark chipped in 12.
