Rice puffs up Colonials' offense

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Maureece Rice first noticed his knack for it as a grade schooler, playing in a recreation league in North Philadelphia.

"I just was like a natural scorer," Rice said. "I was in this Strawberry Mansion league. It was my first game. I just went to the park and played, and I dropped 40. I was 10 or 11, and everybody was shocked. They were like, 'Who is this kid?'"

The "kid" wound up breaking Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia high school career scoring record. He averaged 29.2 points as a senior at Strawberry Mansion High and once posted a 63-point game.

Now, Rice is scoring for George Washington, averaging 11.9 points and 3.1 assists off the bench. GW, which plays host to Massachusetts (10-11, 5-5) tonight at Smith Center, has won 12 straight and can come within one of the program's longest winning streak (14 in 1935-36) with a victory against the reeling Minutemen, who have lost five of six.

Rice has been a large part of GW's streak. It usually doesn't take coach Karl Hobbs long to direct Rice toward the scorer's table -- particularly if GW is struggling on offense. Soon after, the burly guard usually puts on a scoring show.

"You look at him and say, 'Who is this guy?' " said Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli, whose Hawks became Rice and GW's latest victim Saturday. "Then all of a sudden, he is doing a Vinny Johnson from the [old Detroit] Pistons. He can heat up in a hurry."

The Colonials' backup point guard is one of the nation's top sixth men. Martelli called Rice an "all-league player that happens to be willing to come into the game for them" and added that if any other player gets a vote for the Atlantic 10 sixth man of the year award, "they should take away the vote from the coaches."

GW's "Microwave" had 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting in the 64-62 win over Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia. He bailed out an inept offense in the first half by making three of five shots while the rest of the team shot 4-for-23.

And Rice's jubilant homecoming was just getting started. He keyed a second-half comeback with creative shots, including a runner in the lane high off the glass that gave GW its first lead since early in the game.

Rice showed the many ways he can light up the scoreboard, including transition layups, 3-pointers and three-point plays. Though the Colonials seemed ripe for an upset, Rice ensured that GW (20-1, 10-0 A-10) would reach the best start in the program's 89-season history.