Both teams started fast, but Rice Women’s Basketball never slowed down, blitzing Tulsa at Tudor Fieldhouse for their 21st straight victory.
Tulsa came in with a torrential opening burst, showing no signs of intimidation against the newly minted American Conference Regular Season Champions-to-be. Rice women’s basketball did their best to absorb the hurricane force attack, which saw Tulsa knock down a staggering 71 percent of their shots in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for Tulsa, though, a near-perfect offensive showing couldn’t net them a lead. Tied at 23 after the first frame, Rice was ready to respond. The Owls scored. Then scored again. Then again. In a mere five minutes, spanning the first half of the second quarter, Rice went on a 14-0 run, flipping a competitive game on its head and the disparity would only lengthen from there.
MORE: Playing with Joy — Rice Women’s Basketball Secret to Sustained Success
Rice led by 14 at halftime and 21 after three quarters before opening the floodgates in earnest in the fourth. A 16-2 run to open the quarter drove the lead to 35 points, eventually reaching 40 on a final three from Mylee Guinn. The 105 points were the fourth-most points scored in a game in program history and the first time surpassing the century mark for the Owls since 2016.
With the win, Rice women’s basketball improves to 26-3 on the season, 16-0 in league play and 14-0 at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls also tied the program record with their 21st consecutive victory.
Final Box | Rice 105, Tulsa 65
Key takeaway | More than Five
The success of the Rice women’s basketball starters has been the underlying theme of the season and the driving force of the Owls’ historic run. The bench, however, has been underutilized, putting the strain of a staggering amount of minutes played onto the backs of five women.
Quietly, that reliance on the core five has been gradually expanding. That’s not to say the rotation is deepening significantly, but there is growing proof that head coach Lindsay Edmonds has a few additional options she trusted to make an impact off the bench even before the score went lopsided.
Louann Battiston is pushing 20+ minutes played across her last nine games and was instrumental in the Owls’ crucial second quarter run, finishing with 17 points. Likewise, Kennedy Clifton, healthy once again, has become one of the team’s best lockdown defenders. Her minutes have risen dramatically in February as well, tying a season-high 19 minutes on the floor against Tulsa on Saturday.
It’s always nice to have options. And while Rice women’s basketball will go as far as its starters take it, having the right pieces ready to contribute off the bench can often be the difference in battles between the top teams in March.
Up Next: at Charlotte (Tues. Mar. 3 at 5:30 pm)