Texas A&M
6-1
Rice
5-2
Rice 79, Texas A&M 66
Dec 01, 2006 | Women's Basketball
December 01, 2006
Junior point guard A?™Quonesia Franklin (Tyler, Texas) scored a season-high tying 16 points as the No. 10-ranked Texas A&M women?™s basketball team suffered a 79-66 loss at Rice Friday night.
Rice handed the Aggies their first loss of the early season. A&M, which climbed to its highest ranking in school history just this week, missed a chance to match their best start in 30 years.
In the early going, the Aggies jumped out to a 10-4 lead, but Rice would counter with a 6-0 run on its next two possessions. Samantha Stovall was fouled on a layup at the 15:12 minute mark which set up the three-point play and a tied ballgame at 10-10. The Owls never trailed thereafter.
Lauren Neaves recorded a career-best 20 points and 20 rebounds and Valeriy Berezhynska scored 21 points for the Owls, who shot a season-best 58.5 percent from the field en route to their first victory over a top 10 team since they beat then-No. 6 Louisiana Tech in February 2002.
Junior Patrice Reado (Houston, Texas) added 12 points for Texas A&M, which shot a season-low 36 percent from the field.
The Owls held the Aggies scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the second half and took their largest lead of the game, 50-33, on a basket by Emery Carter.
A turnaround jump shot in the key by Berezhynska gave Rice a 63-49 lead with 9:01 to go, and the Owls slowly pulled away for there.
Rice (5-2) outrebounded the Aggies, 44-26, and scored 48 of its points in the paint behind the strong post presence of Neaves and Berezhynska.
Sophomore Danielle Gant (Oklahoma City, Okla.) contributed 14 points for the Aggies, while junior Morenike Atunrase (Shreverport, La.) had 10.
A&M (6-1) will close out its two-game road swing with a much-anticipated rematch with Washington (3-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. (CT) in Seattle, Wash.
Postgame Notes?...A&M shot a season-low 35.7 percent from the floor (25-70)?...The Aggies?™ 13-point loss was their first double-digit defeat since a 19-point loss at then-No. 9-ranked Oklahoma (73-54) on Feb. 15, 2006?...A'Quonesia Franklin played the entire 40 minutes of the game for the second time this season and sixth time of her career?...She tied a season-high with 16 points including three second-half three-pointers?...For the second time this year, A&M was outrebounded by its opponent, 44-26.
POSTGAME QUOTES
TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH GARY BLAIR
On the game ?...
?We were outcoached and outplayed at the post position tonight. It?™s not about being quick, it?™s about playing good basketball. We just got schooled on the fundamentals. Even though we forced 10 more turnovers, they beat us on the press and we didn?™t put enough ball pressure on them. (Lauren) Neaves was the best post player out there and give her credit. She?™s no Courtney Paris, but she might as well be Kevin McHale. When you put together good coaching with a good player, you will have a good post player.?
On the halftime speech in the lockerroom ?...
?We talked about energy and that we have to bring it each and every game. We were a step slower in everything we did tonight. We have to learn how to create space off the dribble. Give Kadie Riverin credit despite her turnovers. She did one heck of a job in the ballgame and that bothered us just as much as their post players. We had to play a smaller lineup, because of the fouls on our post players. But, you can?™t play small against post players like these. I told the players, forget about the top 10 ranking. We are a top 25 team and it was great to be up there. I?™d like to be one again this season and it will take a lot better coaching and better execution. We got beat by a well-coached team on the road and that is why they are picked to win their league (Conference USA) this year.?
