University of Houston Athletics
University of Houston
-48 (11 CUSA)
Rice
-77 (01 CUSA)
Women's Basketball Knocks Off Rice 91-86 In Overtime
1/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2007
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HOUSTON - A 5-0 run to start overtime game the University of Houston women's basketball team the cushion it needed to get past arch-rival Rice by a 91-86 margin in Conference USA action on Guy V. Lewis Court at Hofheinz Pavilion Tuesday.
The Cougars hit their first two shots in the extra period and went up by six, 85-79, with 2:38 left. The Owls had the lead down to two points twice in the last two minutes, but UH hit 4 of 6 free throws in the final 44 seconds, sealing the victory and equalizing UH's record in conference play.
Houston (4-8, 1-1 C-USA) holds a 39-6 lead in the all-time series, 19-2 at Hofheinz Pavilion and 2-0 in overtime games. Rice (7-7, 0-1 C-USA) lost its fourth-straight overall and has dropped four of the past five contests to the Cougars. UH converted Rice's 19 turnovers into 26 points and used 20 offensive rebounds to tally 16 second-chance points. Rice played without leading scorer Lauren Neaves, who has missed the past two games due to injury.
Tye Jackson (Houston, Texas/Westfield HS/Purdue) had a season-best night, with her second double-double in the last three games, knocking down a team-best 30 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. In four games against the Owls, Jackson has been dominant, averaging a shade over 25 points per game.
Ashlee' Joseph (Houston, Texas/Booker T. Washington HS) came off the bench to score a career-best 20 points. She was 10-for-16 from the field and also added seven rebounds. Rice's Valeriya Berezhynska led all players with a career-best 31 points.
With 14 seconds left in regulation, and Rice leading 76-75, Jackson was fouled on a shot from the elbow. Her first free throw was off the front iron and no good, but the second went it, knotting things up with 5.6 seconds left. On Rice's ensuing possession, Berezhynska took an off balance three at the buzzer that was short, sending the game to the extra period.
Houston had the game seemingly put away, ahead by nine, 69-60, with 6:02 left, but a 13-2 run by Rice over the next 3:25 had UH in a two-point hole, 73-71, with 2:37 left. A layup by Whitney James (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Memorial HS/North Oklahoma College) with 1:44 left knotted it at 74, but Berezhynska dropped a three on the next possession, giving Rice the 76-73 lead with 1:28 left.
Maya Onikute's (Queens, N.Y./Park West HS/Barton County CC) jumper with 24 ticks on the clock pulled UH to within one at 76-75, setting up the last-second flurry.
James finished the night with a career-best 17 points. She almost grabbed the double-double, finishing with nine boards. Onikute added 14 points.
Rice ran off to an 8-2 lead in the game's first three minutes as UH missed its first four shots. A 12-1 UH run midway through the opening 20 minutes had the Cougars up 5, 23-18, with 8:33 remaining. Houston pushed the lead to seven with 5:30 left, leading 31-24.
Rice found its mettle and pulled off a 14-4 run to close out the half, leading 41-35 at the break. During that five-minute span, UH was 1-for-11 from the floor. Jackson knocked in 15 in the first half off of 17 shots in 17 minutes.
The Cougars head back on the road for a weekend of league play, taking on Tulane and UTEP. The Tulane contest is set for 7 p.m. CST Friday while the UTEP game will tip off Sunday at 2 p.m.
