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DU’s junior guard Britteni Rice leads the Pioneer women’s basketball team in scoring, but says scoring is not what the game is solely about.

“I view myself as the bridge between the more experienced players and the younger players, because I just became an upper classman, so I know how it feels to be where they’re at,” Rice said.

“In terms of our success as a team figuring out each others’ games has played a huge part, because we’re on the same page now, which makes things easier because everyone is on the same page,” she said.

Rice has led DU (13-6, 8-1) in scoring 12 games this season and is shooting an impressive 41.6 percent from the floor.

Rice scored 12 points in last Saturday’s victory against South Alabama, which extended her double-digit scoring streak to 14 games.

“In order to be successful we have to have several of our players in double-figures, not just me, we need Ashly, Bri, Kaetlyn and Emi and everyone else on the same page,” Rice said. “It’s important for all of us to contribute and get into double-figures.”

However it is Rice’s leadership that is being overshadowed this year, because of all the points she has been scoring.

“What has really improved in Brit is that she works to get better every day and continues to have high standards for herself,” head coach Erik Johnson said.

“The most important thing I’ve noticed though is that she has become a really good leader.

“She is holding other players accountable and she understands what other players are going through, which allows her to have a rapport with the young players so she can teach them,” Johnson said. “Demanding accountability is so powerful when it comes from another player rather than from just the coaches.”

He added, “Brit has a nice combination—she can score and pass, which allows us to run a lot of offense through her, because teams have to adjust to her if they don’t help she can shoot off the dribble or drive to the basket and if they do help she can find other people.”

As  an upperclassman, Rice feels the need to help players underneath her mature, just as she has done.

“I think it is important I use my knowledge and help them out, give them answers to their questions,” Rice said.

Before she arrived at DU in 2007, Rice played for Pampa High School in Pampa, Texas, and led her district in scoring for four years. In addition, she set Pampa’s total point record with 2,097 career points.

“In high school it’s much easier to do things at your own will and I’ve learned that once you get to this level, you have to do more on the court than just score,” Rice said.

“At this level you have to learn fundamentals and it has taken me a few years to understand how key they are on both offense and defense,” Rice said.

Although a scorer, Rice said, “I view myself doing other things well such as drawing more attention to myself, which helps my teammates, because if a defense comes out to guard me then someone else can score.  On defense you have to talk and communicate and I think I play a big role in that.”

Rice credits her family-centric, Texas childhood for the reason why she has made it this far as a basketball player.

“Ever since I was little I have wanted to play college basketball and I didn’t always necessarily have the skills,” Rice said. “My parents were really helpful and always believed in me. They were able to get me onto travel teams and were always taking me to the gym. I am very grateful to have such supportive parents in my life.”

The support from her family and her scoring ability were able to take Rice to the collegiate level, but it has been a spurt in maturity that has permitted Rice to flourish into a key player at a more challenging level.

“Her maturity level has increased so much,” Johnson said. “She can handle whatever other teams throw at her and teams try to frustrate her because she is a key player.

“They will double team her, be physical with her, and chuck her over screens, which means she has a lot of emotional stuff to deal with every game as well as every day,” Johnson said.

“Managing her frustration has been really key to her game and that’s what mature players do and she’s really starting to grasp that as a basketball player,” Johnson said.