It was a close game at Tudor Fieldhouse until Rice women’s basketball pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure their ninth straight win.
Whether it was the early morning tip time or something else, Rice women’s basketball got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter in their final nonconference game. The Owls shot 28.6 percent from the floor in the opening frame but managed to keep the game close with their defense, trailing 15-10 when the second quarter began.
Sam Houston extended their lead to seven points on the first bucket of the second quarter, then Destiny Jackson took over for the Owls. She scored four consecutive buckets, vaporizing the deficit and turning it into the first Rice lead of the day.
While Rice was able to right the ship and make things interesting, Sam Houston wouldn’t go away. Neither team led by more than three points from the midpoint of Jackson’s second-quarter run (8:30 on the clock) til the 1:32-minute mark of the third quarter, a span of nearly 10 minutes of court time.
When the Owls’ shots started falling, though, they didn’t stop. A close game became a route in a matter of minutes. Rice hit four three-pointers to close out the third quarter, then did most of their fourth quarter damage inside, opening up a 13-point lead after the final media timeout and coasting to their ninth consecutive victory, completing a perfect run through non-conference play.
Spotlight | Katelyn Crosthwait
Crosthwait has become a reliable deep threat for Rice women’s basketball, making at least one three-pointer in eight of nine games and making three or more triples in six games so far. Altogether she’s shooting 41.4 percent from three, the best mark on the team.
It was Crosthwait’s third quarter contributions that helped open the game up and turned a close game into a multi-score advantage headed to the fourth quarter. In addition to her 14 points, which tied a season high, she also added four rebounds and an assist.
Final Box | Rice 68 – SHSU 57
FINAL | @RiceWBB 68 – SHSU 57 pic.twitter.com/edXzaZ6xt7
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) December 16, 2022
Up Next | Full Schedule
The next time Rice women’s basketball hits the court they’ll be headed for conference play. After wrapping up its nonconference schedule, Rice will next play games against Middle Tennessee (Tues, Dec. 20), Western Kentucky (Thur, Dec. 29), and UTEP (Sat, Dec. 31).
