Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

Sports

Lady Cougars, Rice prepare for grudge match

By ARICA JEFFERSON
The Daily Cougar

The time has come again. The Lady Cougars will take on crosstown rivals the Rice Owls at 7 p.m. Friday. The only difference is this time the Owls will have the home-court advantage at Autry Court.

The last time the teams met was Jan. 15 at Hofheinz Pavilion, when the Lady Cougars earned a hard-fought win, 79-72. The game included career-best performances from a few of the players. 

Sophomore guard Tye Jackson scored a career-high 37 points, and was named Conference USA Co-Player of the Week. Freshman guard Nakazi Glover tied her career best in rebounds with nine. Senior center Emily Fryters recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Fyters feels like the team did almost everything right against the Owls and wants a repeat performance.

"We want to make sure we do what we did in the Rice game. We just have to play defense like we did and move the ball like we did," Fryters said.

If the Cougars want to win Friday, they have to put the past behind them. Houston went on a three-game slump before a 64-50 win against UTEP on Sunday at Hofhienz. 

The win definitely lifted the team's morale, Fryters said.

"We decided to forget about all the negative and just focus toward getting better and move on. And we all came together really well after that weekend, and I think we are a better team for it," Fryters said.

Houston will need to keep an eye on the perimeter -- Rice guard Krystal Frazier had 23 points versus the Cougars and shot 44 percent from behind the arc. Houston's inside game is also in for another tough bout against Rice post players Lauren Neaves and Valeriya Berezhynska, who each had nine rebounds in the Jan. 15 game.

"I just got to be in safe an controlled offensively. We have to stay focused offensively, move the ball around, take good shots, and the game will just come to us then," Fryters said.

Fryters knows exactly what they need to do to win this game -- defense, offense and another 14 rebound-performance. Good thing Fryters has gone one better and promised 15 boards when the Lady Cougars meet Rice on Friday.
 

Send comments to dcsports@mail.uh.edu