Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rice
Rice Tops Women's Basketball 76-58
1/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2002
HOUSTON - Rice used its trademark defense and a season-high offensive output en route to a 76-58 victory over Fresno State at Autry Court. The loss drops the Bulldogs' record to 6-7 (1-2 WAC) while the Owls improve to 7-4 (1-1 WAC).
Rice, which entered the game fourth in the WAC in scoring defense at 63.1 points per game, held the Bulldogs to only 35 percent shooting and their third-lowest scoring total of the year. Aritta Lane was the only FS player to score in double figures. She had 14 points.
On the flip side, the Owls executed offensively as well as they have all year. Rice's 76 points were a season high, and the 46 points scored by the Owls in the second half was the most in 2001-02.
The game started with a tight first half, with neither team holding a lead of more than five points. Fresno State led for the majority of the first half until Rice took a one-point advantage with three minutes left. The Owls stretched it to 30-26 heading into the locker room.
The lead bobbed back and forth for the first seven minutes of the second half. With 13:25 to go and the score tied 36-36, it appeared the Bulldogs received a break when Rice's most productive post player, Johnetta Hayes, picked up her fourth foul. But Hayes' foul trouble only fueled the Owls, who went on an 8-0 run immediately after the sophomore's departure.
It was then Fresno State began to get in foul trouble. Omelogo Udeze, Mindy Clark and Channan High all picked up their fourth foul over the next two minutes. Meanwhile, Rice continued to pound the ball inside, stretching its lead to 60-46 with 5:25 remaining. The Bulldogs were able to get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.
"Rice is one of the toughest defensive teams in the WAC, and tonight they proved it," head coach Britt King said. "We just did not play consistently. It was one of the things we talked about before the game -- playing consistently. But we just didn't do that.
"Rice had some players step up and play well offensively tonight," King continued. "We have a lot of players that can contribute, too. But tonight that didn't happen."
In addition to Lane's 14 points, Fresno State was led by eight from Udeze and Lindsay Logan.
For Rice, four players had double-digit scoring efforts. Elisa Inman came off the bench to lead the Owls with 17 points. Hayes had 11 while Daneesh McIntosh and LaTonya Sam had 10. It marked the first time this season Rice has had all three of its post players -- Inman, McIntosh and Hayes -- score at least 10 points.
The Bulldogs' first WAC road trip of the year continues Saturday against Tulsa (7-5, 2-0 WAC) at noon PST.
