Sunday, January 25, 2009

SOUTHERN MISS DEFEATS RICE 65-50

HOUSTON, TEXAS (Janaury 25, 2009) Southern Miss (12-7, 5-1) placed four players in double-figures en route to defeating Rice 65-50 in Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls (5-14, 0-6) were led in scoring by Megan Elliott (16 points) and Maudess Fulton (15 points). The Golden Eagles were led by Pauline Love’s 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Stephanie Helgeson and Andrea Barber each scored 15. Tanesha Washington added 10.

Southern Miss held an 11-point lead with 6:36 left in the first-half, but would not score a point until the second-half as Rice erupted for a 9-0 run that was ignited by a Melissa Wittmayer who blocked a shot on the defensive end and then scored down low on the ensuing possession.

Emery Carter scored on back-to-back trips, the first on a nice feed from Maudess Fulton, to bring the Owls to within one at 34-33 at 15:51. Helgeson then converted a three-point to give USM breathing room, which became the first three points of an 11-0 Golden Eagle run that quelched the Rice rally. Southern Miss eventually increased its lead to 19 (59 to 40) before the Owls scored the next eight points to make it 59-48.

The Owls now play at Tulsa on Thursday, Jan. 29 (7 p.m.) and at SMU on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m.

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