University of Houston Athletics
Women's Basketball Meets Rice on Thursday
2/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2012
| HOUSTON (2-23 • 1-12) at RICE (13-13 • 7-6) | |
|---|---|
| Time | 7 p.m. • Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012 |
| Location | Tudor Fieldhouse (5,750) • Houston |
| Series History | Houston leads, 47-8 |
| Last Time | Rice 58, Houston 50 (1/28/12) |
| Radio | Listen Live Houston Sports Network online broadcast powered by Stretch Internet Jeremy Branham, (play-by-play), Louis Ray (Color) |
| Live Stats | |
| Game Notes | Houston Notes  Conference USA Notebook |
| Social Media |  Facebook •  Twitter |
HOUSTON - The University of Houston women's basketball team looks to even the season series against cross-town rival Rice with a 7 p.m., contest on Thursday at Tudor Fieldhouse.
The two teams met earlier this season in Hofheinz Pavilion, as the Owls escaped with a 58-50 victory to snap an eight-game losing skid against the Cougars.
Houston nearly erased a 20-point deficit midway through the second half, using a 16-2 run to cut the Rice lead to six points with 1:41 remaining.
The Cougars held Rice to just 23 percent shooting from the field and knocked down more field goals and free-throws than the Owls but were outscored by an 18-3 margin beyond the arc.
Freshmen Amanda Lawson and Terran Alford combined for 20 points and 20 rebounds in the earlier matchup, while Roxana Button (9 points) was held under double digits for only the third time this season.
Button, a senior from Coppell, Texas, looks to compete in her 119th-consecutive game of her career, which would tie Darla Simpson (1989-92) for the second-longest streak in school history and trail only Kip Anderson's (1977-81) 132-straight contests.
Button continues to lead Conference USA in scoring with 17.9 points per game and is poised to become only the third Cougar to win the league's scoring crown, joining Chandi Jones (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04) and Tye Jackson (2006-07).
ABOUT RICE
Rice enters Thursday's contest with a 13-13 overall record and a fifth-place mark of 7-6 in Conference USA action.
The Owls are scoring 60.1 points per game this season while limiting opponents to just over 57 points per contest. Rice is strong on the boards, ranking third in the league with 43.0 rebounds per game while also placing second in steals (11.3 spg) and third in turnover margin (+3.1).
Sophomore forward Jessica Kuster leads the Owls and ranks among the top three in the league in points (16.6 ppg), rebounds (11.0 rpg) and blocks (1.9 bpg). Senior Brianna Hypolite is also scoring in double figures with 10.7 points per game, while point guard D'Frantz Smart ranks second in C-USA in assists (4.1 apg) and steals (3.1 spg).
SERIES HISTORY VS. RICE
Houston and Rice renew the cross-town rivalry for the 56th time since the 1977-78 season, as the Cougars hold a dominating 47-8 advantage in the series.
The two teams met at Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 28, as Rice snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Cougars with a 58-50 victory. Freshmen Amanda Lawson and Terran Alford led Houston, combining for 20 points and 20 rebounds in the loss.
The last time the two teams met at Tudor Fieldhouse on Feb. 27, 2011, the Cougars overcame a 19-point deficit for a thrilling 74-70 victory. Led by senior Courtney Taylor, Houston outscored Rice by a 21-7 margin over the final nine minutes to secure the victory. Houston is 20-4 all-time when playing at Rice.
