Women's Basketball

Candice Champion

MAVERICKS NOTCH THIRD VICTORY OF THE SEASON AGAINST RICE, 77-72

Candice Champion led the team with 23 points and Erin Dixon recorded 18 rebounds

Dec. 6, 2008

Houston, Texas - A 25-point and 18-rebound performance by seniors Candice Champion and Erin Dixon secured a 77-72 victory against Conference USA foe-Rice University in Houston, Texas on Saturday, December 6 at the Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Mavericks victory over the Owls broke a four-game road skid and improved their overall record to 3-4. Rice University fell to 3-3 on the season.

With the Mavericks holding onto a five-point lead with 16:42 in the first half, back-to-back three's from D'Frantz Smart gave the Rice Owls a 12-11 advantage and held the lead the rest of the first half.

UTA tied the game at 19-19 at the 11:17 mark following a layup by Candice Champion but were unable to top Rice as they headed into the locker rooms down 41-31.

UT Arlington came out of halftime hot, cruising to a 13-0 run tying the game and taking a 46-43 advantage following a Kiarra Shofner trey from behind the arc with 16:25 left in the game.

Led by Rice freshman Smart, the Owls connected on several baskets to tie the game three times before the Mavericks would go on a 11-2 run, to make the score 64-55 with 6:17 remaining on the clock.

Smart kept the Owls in the game, converting six free throws to tie the game for the seventh time at 68-68 at the 1:32 mark. It was a free throw shooting contest the rest of the way as the Mavericks connected on 9-of-12 from the line to seal their third win of the season.

UTA finished the game shooting 40.6 percent from the field, connecting on 26-of-64 of their attempts to Rice University's 38.8 percent, converting 26-of-67 from the floor.

Champion's 25 points was her seventh double-digit scoring performance of the season. The senior forward finished shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 5-of-7 from the charity stripe and added eight rebounds in 23 minutes of action.

Dixon notched her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and a game high 18 rebounds while Tamara Simmons chipped in with 12 points and four assists.

Smart recorded a game high 26 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor, 3-of-6 from the behind the arc, 9-of-13 from the charity stripe, to go along with eight rebounds and nine rebounds for the Owls.

Up next for the Mavs is a meeting against Big 12 opponent-Kansas State on Sunday, December 14 in Manhattan, KS, with tip off slated for 1 p.m.