Women's basketball christens new fieldhouse, wins season opener
For the first time in school history, the Owls answered the all-too-important question: Whose house is this? Tudor Fieldhouse was filled with students and fans to watch the first home game in the new facility last Friday.IN PHOTOS: OPENING WEEKEND AT TUDOR FIELDHOUSE
The Owls put California State University- Northridge in the history books as the first opponent to be sent packing after suffering a 76-55 route at the hands of the home team, but the women were not finished just yet. A buzzer-beater from sophomore forward Morgan Mayse against Texas A&M University-Prairie View on Wednesday continued the perfect start to the season.
The home-opener was more than an introduction to a new court, it was a return to normalcy for the players that had been without a home-court or a locker room for over a year.
"To have fans again, to have the [Marching Owl Band] and the music, and people behind us was just so much better than playing at Houston Baptist University," junior guard Tara Watts said.
Fans came out in large numbers to attend the history-making event. For most of the team, it was the first time they had ever played in front of a student section that was cheering for them.
"It was fantastic," head coach Greg Williams said. "I couldn't have asked for more from the students. I though the atmosphere was tremendous. It helped us early on. The crowd energized our kids. If we can get that kind of turnout on a consistent basis, this could be a really tough place to play."
Though questions loomed in the fall as to who would step up to the forefront of the young team, everything went as planned, and the Owls put on a good show for the crowd, exhibiting a dangerous mix of veteran leadership and untapped talent. 11 of 12 players put up scoring numbers against Cal State, and nine contributed against Prairie View.
"We had a pretty good balanced scoring game," Williams said on Friday. "I think that is how our team will be this year. We have players that can score from different spots on the field."
Veteran senior Maudess Fulton and Watts put up 14 and 13 points respectively against Cal State. The game stayed competitive for the first 10 minutes of the first half, but two consecutive three-pointers from Watts kicked off a 20-2 run for the Owls, from which the Matadors would never recover. The Owls finished with seven field goals from beyond the arc, and Watts' three were a game high.
The productive night for two veterans who each averaged less than nine points a game last year provided a sigh of relief for the young team, but it was the explosive play of the younger emerging stars that gave the Owls the edge in both nights.
Mayse came out as the leading scorer in both games with 16 against Cal State and 14 against Prairie View, but none of the points were bigger than her game winning prayer from several feet behind the arc.
"I knew we needed to get the shot off, and it went in," she said.
Rice got out to a strong start early in the game, leading at one point by 13. A large part of their early run was strong play from players in the post. After Valeriya Berezhynska (Will Rice '08) graduated last year as the 10th all-time leading scorer for Rice, it seemed unlikely that anyone could fill her spot on the floor. Though they lack a true center, the Owls compensated with strong play from freshmen forwards Candace Ashford, Megan Eliot and Brianna Hypolite who combined for 15 points.
Despite the Owls' early offensive success, the Panthers, coached by WNBA legend Cynthia Cooper, came out firing in the second half. They began ruthlessly attacking the basket and took advantage of the Owls' man-on-man defense.
Along with a struggling defense, their offense stagnated as the Panthers shut down the low-post presence that dominated the first half. Rice had only one six points from inside the paint in the second half, compared to 14 in the first. On the other hand, Prairie View increased their production in the paint from six points to 20, which accounted for 100 percent of the field goals in the second quarter.
"This early in the season it is hard to prepare for every defense," Williams said. "We were struggling. We were on 33 for ever."
The Owls sat back with 33 points for five minutes and watched their once-comfortable lead slip away.
When times got tough, though, the Owls got tougher. While Mayse seemed to be the only player on the floor that could find an offensive rhythm, another young player stepped up the intensity and energized the squad on both ends.
Freshman point guard D'Frantz Smart finished the game with seven points and four turnovers, but helped to hold the team together emotionally as the Panthers' attack intensified.
"That is who is setting the tempo for the team," Fulton said. "She is very confident, and that is infectious."
With just under five minutes left in the game, Prairie View took a 39-38 lead, taking the breath out of all the Rice fans in the building. Immediately following, the young point guard, standing at only five feet, saw a gap in the Panthers' defense and drove hard to the basket for two points. As the Panthers brought the ball back up, Smart stole the ball and took it in for another two points, swinging the momentum back to the home team.
Though Smart helped keep it close, it took the herculean effort of another young player to give the Owls the win. After missing two free-throws with 18 seconds left in the match, the Panthers were up 45-44.
Smart brought the ball to the top of the arc and spotted a wide-open Mayse from beyond the arc. The attempt bounced out and went out-of-bounds after hitting the finger tips of a Prairie View player. With three seconds left, Smart inbounded the ball to Watts, who was immediately covered by three defenders. In a desperate move, she passed it off to Mayse who shot the ball from beyond NBA three-point range at the buzzer.
"You have to give Rice credit," Panthers' coach Cooper said. "No matter how many runs we made, they stayed composed."
The exciting finish gave the Owls momentum for their upcoming games, but it may take more than momentum to beat Baylor on Sunday in Tudor Fieldhouse. The Bears are ranked in the top 10 in the nation.
"It's basketball, and anything is possible," Smart said. "That is why we all play the sport.
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