Southern Miss
Sam Houston
Women's Basketball Downs Sam Houston State, 72-60
11/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2008
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Junior Pauline Love recorded her 20th career double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds and Candace Rucker came off the bench to score 16 points, in leading Southern Miss past Sam Houston State, 72-60, in the season opener Friday.
"A win is a win," head coach Joye Lee-McNelis said. "We had several bright spots as a team, but we also have areas we need to improve on. I thought our pressure defense early in the game was the difference. Early on we competed on the glass. Our bench played a major role in getting this victory."
Ten of the 11 available players scored at least four points in the game. Khamra Echols led Sam Houston State with a game-high 22 points.
Both team struggled early trying to find their offensive game against smothering defenses. Sam Houston scored first, then, Southern Miss outscored the Bearkats, 12-4, over five minutes to take the lead.
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Southern Miss scored 19 points off 16 first half miscues by the Bearkats in gaining a 34-20 lead at the half.
"There are several areas we have to improve," said McNelis. "We have to give a consistent effort for 40 minutes. Defensively, we have to keep our opponents off the glass. We have to play with fire-in-the-belly attitude. Our offensive flow also needs to improve."
The Lady Eagles opened the second half, scoring the first six points before Echols connected a basket to end the Eagles' run. Over the next four minutes, SHSU outscored Southern Miss, 9-6, to cut the lead to 12 points, 44-32, at the 13:55 mark.
Southern Miss quickly regrouped and used a 13-5 run, sparked by Rucker and Erin Gatling, to push the lead to 20 points with 8:54 remaining. The Lady Eagles maintained an 18-point lead with 1:25 to go before Bearkats ended the game outscoring Southern Miss, 6-0, for the final score of 72-60.
Southern Miss finished the game shooting 46.7 percent from the field, including 53.8 percent in the second half. The Lady Eagles came away with 10 steals and scored 40 points in the paint. Southern Miss edged SHSU 40-38 on the boards.
Southern Miss returns to action, Monday when the Lady Eagles host Tennessee State in their home opener at 7 p.m.
Post Game Quotes: On the overall game: "Looking at the big picture with a freshman and sophomore point guard, you have to applaud them be able to handle the situation.
On Candace Rucker play: "Candace was the difference-maker. Defensively, she took control of their point guard which resulted in easy baskets for us. When she learns to develop a sense of mental toughness, she will be a special player."
On the bench play: "Coming into the game with Sam Houston State, we played in front of 2,200 hostile fans. Players weren't able to hear during timeouts. An atmosphere like that will only help us grow as a team and also help us find ways to win on the road."
Post Game Notes:
-Pauline Love recorded her 20th-career double-double
-Four players made their Southern Miss début - Erin Gatling, Candace Rucker, Ashley Martin, Whitney McNelis
