Rice Women’s Basketball saw its season come to an end at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, dropping its Second Round WBI Tournament game to Kansas.
It was another slow start for Rice Women’s basketball on offense in their Second Round WBI Tournament game against Kansas on Sunday. Just as they had a few days ago in their opening round win against Louisiana Tech, the Owls sputtered in the first quarter, barely reaching 12 points after the first frame and putting themselves in an early hole.
Kansas wasn’t shooting the lights out either, but an 8-0 burst to start the second quarter put the hosting Jayhawks up by 12. Rice had hit 4-of-20 shots from the field at that point and while they would slowly start to knock some shots down, the 12-point deficit lingered into halftime as the offense remained flat.
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The two teams traded baskets in the third quarter, but Rice was unable to get closer than nine points before foul trouble made any thoughts of a comeback bid even more daunting. Louann Battiston, who led all Owls with 13, was forced to the bench at the end of the third quarter, and by the time she returned, Rice was down 15 and time had run out for a late rally.
The loss brings the 2025-2026 Rice Women’s Basketball season to an end. The Owls won a program record 29 games, including a program best 22 consecutive victories.
Final Box | Kansas 62, Rice 55
Key takeaway | Staying in Rhythm
When Rice women’s basketball truly got the ball rolling in early December, few teams were more consistent and more predictable than the Owls. They trotted out the same starting five, stayed out of foul trouble, and routinely turned in a smattering of double-digit scorers with tremendous, aggressive defense.
A record-setting winning streak wasn’t a forgone conclusion, not at that point at least, but what the Owls were bringing to the court on any given afternoon was well established. Then the regular season finale against UTSA arrived.
Shelby Hayes and Hailey Adams both left the game with minor injuries. Two games later, Victoria Flores was lost for the entire postseason with an injury suffered in the conference tournament championship game. The well-established rhythm that propelled Rice to their historic season came to an abrupt halt.
Out of sync in the games that mattered most, Rice still found ways to win their postseason opener, setting a program record for wins in a season, but the steady drum beat that had made this team unstoppable all season long came off kilter right at the end.
This season should be remembered for what this team was capable of at its best. They earned that.