Kuster leads basketball to early 2-0 start

By Michael Kidd     11/12/13 6:00pm

The Rice University women's basketball team opened its season with a 77-63 victory at Texas A&M University, Prairie View Nov. 8. Senior Jessica Kuster led the charge with 33 points and 15 rebounds. The Owls led the game from start to finish, and sophomore Megan Palmer and junior Christal Porter both finished with double digits.

Head Coach Greg Williams said he was particularly pleased with the poise his team showed on the road. He said playing on the road is difficult and being able to take the crowd out of the game was key.

"Going on the road is always difficult, but we knew since the offseason how [much more] experienced [we were] coming into this year," Williams said. "We helped keep the crowd out of the game ... a formula for success on the road for any team." 

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Williams said Kuster, the only senior on the squad, played exceptionally and was aggressive on the offensive end. He said the team's effective passing was a major factor in Kuster's high-scoring game. 

"[Kuster]  had a spectacular game with 33 [points] and 15 [rebounds] and on only 17 [shot] attempts," Williams said. "I felt like she was very aggressive offensively, and that is something we need her to be [this year]. [Our] players did a great job finding her, and she's also great at creating her own shots. [She] played a really solid game from start to finish."

Williams said he is pleased with the progress many of his starters have made over the offseason. Williams said that with four returning starters - Kuster, Porter, Palmer and junior Nakachi Maduke - the Owls played more confidently as a team in their first game.

"It was nice to see how hard [the returning starters] worked in the offseason," Williams said. "[If they] can lead with more poise and confidence this year, [it's] is going to be big for us."

Kuster led all scorers on Friday evening and said she felt excited for the first game of the season. She said having gone through this process for four years, she did her best to stay relaxed. 

"I actually felt pretty relaxed, [since] I've been through this for four years. Prairie View has a unique atmosphere, and I stayed calm so the rest of the team [fed] off that vibe and kept jitters to a minimum."

Kuster was pleased with the way the team worked together on offense to pull out the victory. She said the Owls improved upon their  stability at point guard from last year.

"I think that we passed the ball extremely well, and we worked very well as a team on offense," Kuster said. "Even when changing up our point guards a bit, [we] played the same regardless of who was bringing the ball up the floor. [The vibe] was enthusiastic and pretty positive out there."

Porter said she has been working hard in the offseason to improve her game and contribute more to the team. She said players have an opportunity to improve each additional year at Rice.

"[After] sophomore year, you know what to expect, and you know [your] weaknesses, and that makes you feel a lot more confident," Porter said. "I feel that knowing what you do best on the court gives you confidence, and I feel like I'm in that kind of spot right now." 

Porter said she hopes the team can win more close games this year, but to do so, the Owls must dig deep down the stretch. 

"It's [always] going to be competitive, and we are going to dig deep," Porter said. "Last year, we lost a lot of close games ..., so this year, we will dig deeper and end up winning those games."

Rice followed up their opening night victory with their first home win of the season Nov. 11 against Texas Southern University 61-54. The Owls got off to a slow start, falling behind 15-6, but they rallied to tie the game 26-26 at halftime. Rice took the lead late in the game and did not look back, recording a 61-54 win. Kuster scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds while junior point guard Reem Moussa recorded 13 points and helped lead the Owls to 2-0.

Rice's next game is Thursday, Nov. 14 at McNeese State University before heading to Waco on Monday, Nov. 18 to play Baylor University.  

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