Rice Women’s Basketball started hot but finished ice cold, falling to UTSA on the road in another heartbreaking late slump.
It couldn’t have gotten much better for Rice Women’s Basketball than an 8-0 run to start their road contest at UTSA, the top team in the AAC standings with a sterling 13-2 record. Good teams don’t roll over, though, and the Roadrunners quickly battled back to get the game within reach near the end of the quarter.
Both teams traded blows in the second with the Owls taking a five-point advantage into the locker room at the break. UTSA whittled it down to two midway through the second before Hailey Adams and Dominique Ennis pushed the Rice advantage back to multiple possessions entering the fourth.
More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Midseason State of the Program
Rice would make just four field goals in the fourth quarter, leaning on their defense to keep the game close as turnovers really started to take a toll. The Owls still shot 55 percent in the fourth quarter, but UTSA dominated the boards in that final period 9-1 and made four of their last five field goals as Rice was held scoreless in the final three minutes.
Final Box | UTSA 67, Rice 52
FINAL | UTSA 67, @RiceWBB 58 pic.twitter.com/rcqrAsnc19
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) January 9, 2025
Key takeaway | The Elephant In The Room
Days removed from proving they can close out a game late, Rice women’s basketball returned to their familiar fourth quarter flaws. Leading their opponents by six entering the final frame on Wednesday night, the Owls were outscored by 15 points in the final 10 minutes, losing by nine.
This team typically plays well in the first three quarters. The fourth, however, had been the boogeyman this season and it seems only fair to wonder if the problem is as much mental at this point as it is anything else. If there were an easy answer to what was causing these late game failures, surely there is enough tape to make those adjustments?
Instead, it’s another loss in a game that probably should have been a win. Another defeat against one of the best teams on the Owls’ schedule that certainly would have added some flair to their resume.
Up Next: vs Memphis (Sun, 1/12)
