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Rice Football 2021: Spring Practice Week 3 Notebook

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Rice football has one scrimmage in the books and continues to work. Here are some growing pains and high points from Week 3 of spring ball.

Overall, Rice Football head coach Mike Bloomgren was optimistic following the first scrimmage of the spring. “I look at our team in totality and we are better in terms of our knowledge of the system,” he said. “There’s less missed assignments everywhere on the field. And we move faster to and from the ball.”

That progress has come with some highs and a few lows. This team is, as Bloomgren dubbed it, “an exciting work in progress.”

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For those that might have missed it, you can check out the initial depth chart reactions as well as the Week 1 and Week 2 practice notebooks. Not subscribed? The Roost will have you covered every step of the way this spring and beyond. Subscribers get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and special features. Subscribe on Patreon and get access to it all today.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls march past Fresno St for second WNIT win

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Rice women’s basketball exploded out of the gate, leading Fresno State from start to finish to advance in the WNIT.

It was clear from the start that the second-round game for Rice women’s basketball against Fresno State was going to be different than the defensive struggle that encapsulated the Owls first-round win over Arizona State. Rice made their first three shots and scored 25 points in the opening frame. That’s two points less than the Owls and the Sun Devils combined to score at halftime on Friday.

That strong start proved to be the harbinger of good things to come. Rice did cool down from their scorching 64.7 percent field goal percentage in the first quarter, but their lead held from that point onward.

Rice Football: Spring Practice Notebook – Week 2

Fresno State made things interesting with a 9-0 run in the middle of the third quarter, but Rice was quick to respond immediately with an 11-2 run of their own to quiet the threat. Central to that hold, and the sizable lead itself, Nancy Mulkey led all scorers with a season-high 28 points. She also had eight rebounds.

Player of the Game – Jasmine Smith

Smith isn’t traditionally the Owls’ primary scoring option on the court, but her ability to run the offense and set others up for success is differential for this team. On Saturday, though, Smith combined her keen eye for her teammates with a near-perfect shooting performance. She started 4-of-4 from the floor, finishing with 15 points. She also had 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals.

Up Next

Rice women’s basketball has moved into the win-or-go-home stage of the Women’s NIT. With the win, the Owls will face the winner of San Francisco and California Baptist on Monday, March 22 and 7:00 p.m. Should Rice win that game, they would win the Fort Worth Regional and advance to the Final Four in Memphis.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls explode late, down Arizona State in WNIT opener

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The first round of the WNIT went well for Rice women’s basketball, who beat Arizona State to advance in the winner’s bracket.

Rice Women’s Basketball was disappointed to miss out on an at-large NCAA Tournament selection, but their focus pivoted to the WNIT quickly. Head coach Tina Langley had her team focused on preparation for their second WNIT trip in the past four seasons long before brackets were announced.

When the time came, Rice was paired with Arizona State. On paper, the matchup looked favorable for the 18-4 Owls against the 11-10 Sun Devils, who also boasted a strong defensive presence.

It wasn’t too much of a surprise then when both teams struggled on offense early on in the game. In the first quarter, Arizona State made 2-of-14 shots. Rice was held to 2-of-11 from the floor. The Sun Devils had more fouls (6) and turnovers (5) than points (4) in the initial frame. The Owls walked away with a 4-2 early lead, confident in their defense, but in need of a spark.

Rice Football: Spring Practice Notebook – Week 2

Rice scored on three of their first four possessions in the second quarter, taking a 13-8 lead into the media timeout. They won on the offensive glass and took advantage of their opponent’s miscues, scoring seven of their 10 second quarter points directly off Arizona State turnovers. A 15-12 halftime lead highlighted a gritty, exhausting start.

The lead ping-ponged back and forth in the third quarter, but then Rice found their extra gear when it mattered. Katelyn Crosthwait hit the Owls’ first three-pointer of the game to spark a thunderous finish for the Owls. Rice outscored Arizona State 18-to-5 in the fourth quarter to secure the first-round win.

Player of the Game – Nancy Mulkey

In a game in which points were at a premium, Mulkey tied Lauren Schartz for the lead among all players in scoring with 16 points. The senior center converted on 7-of-10 shots from the field. That 70 percent shooting percentage more than doubled Arizona State’s team scoring rate. She added four blocks and seven rebounds.

Up Next

The format for the 2021 Women’s NIT guarantees two games for every team. With the victory, Rice moves into the winner’s bracket. They’ll face the winner of the second game in the Fort Worth Region between Fresno State (16-10) and Missouri (9-11).

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Rice Baseball 2021: Previewing the Southern Series

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The Rice baseball enters the weekend fresh from one of their best weekends of the season. Here’s how the Owls stack up with visiting Southern.

It was a good weekend for Rice baseball, who won three of four in a multi-team event. It was the first time Rice has won three games in any weekend span since they swept a three-game series from Louisiana Tech in April 2019. Tuesday’s one-sided loss to Texas State cooled the Owls’ momentum, but they’ll have fresh arms and ready bats for the upcoming three-game slate.

This series marks their final weekend tune-up before Conference USA play begins the following weekend. The Owls will then host UTSA in a four-game series.  But first, a look at how Rice matches up with Southern. Originally scheduled for a Saturday doubleheader, the series will now be a more traditional three game affair.

Game Notes

Times: Friday 6:00 p.m. | Saturday 1:00 p.m. | Sunday 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Reckling Park
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
Watch: CUSAtv

How each team fared this week

Rice baseball (8-8) took both games against Northern Illinois and split a pair of games against Kansas State. They lost their midweek game against Texas State.

Southern (5-10) lost three of their last four, dropping their most recent weekend series with Prairie View A&M (whom Rice beat 10-0) as well as a midweek game against Lamar.

Projected Pitching Matchups

Friday | Blake Brogdon (1-2, 6.52)
Saturday | Roel Garcia (1-1, 3.86)
Sunday | Mitchell Holcomb (2-1, 5.59)

Southern Pitching

Willhelm Allen is their definitive Friday night guy. He owns a 5.30 ERA in 18.2 innings pitched across four games. He’s not going to go deep, and with a .304 batting average against and only 14 strikeouts, Rice should be able to get some hits off of him.

Larry Barabino has been the go-to guy out of the bullpen. He’s allowed two runs in 9.1 innings with eight strikeouts. Walks have been his nemesis though. He’s surrendered seven on the season. The staff as a whole owns at 5.52 ERA almost a full point higher than the Owls.

Southern Hitting

The offense hasn’t been much better than the pitching. Southern has a team average of .233 shared by 20 different hitters. They do have a fairly consistent core led by Bubba Thompson (.271 avg, 16 hits, 10 runs) and Zavier Moore (.246 avg, 14 hits, 8 runs). While they might lack truly elite hitters, they have a smattering of guys who have shown flashes and can put the ball in the gap for an extra-base hit.

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Rice Baseball 2021: 12-run inning dooms Owls at Texas State in midweek tilt

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A rough fourth inning snowballed quickly on Rice baseball, who fell in seven innings to Texas State on the road on Wednesday.

The first three batters reached base for Texas State in their midweek win over Rice baseball. The third baserunner reached via a single to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead. They would never look back.

Texas State was ready for Rice pitcher Garret Zaskoda in his first career start. He lasted 3+ innings and was charged with six runs. Following his hook, Dillon Janac and Mike Davis struggled to close out the inning. In total, Rice pitchers allowed six hits, four walks and four hit baseman in what became a disastrous 12-run fourth inning for Texas State.

Podcast: Former Rice football star Christian Covington talks football, Marvel

Ny the time the Rice offense got going, it was too-little-too-late. Rice scored five runs in their final three frames, but it wasn’t enough to curtail a 10-inning run-rule which halted the game after the seventh inning. It was the first time Rice has lost by run-rule since 2016.

A double from Hal Hughes and a home run from Connor Walsh were the only extra-base hits from Rice hitters in the game.

What it means

Rice baseball lost to Texas State for the seventh consecutive time on Wednesday. The Owls still lead the all-time series 61-20, but it’s been all Bobcats for the last several seasons. An 8-8 record through 16 games is head-and-shoulders better than the 2-14 mark where Rice ended last season. Yet nights light this one serve as a reminder there is work still to be done.

ON DECK |

Rice baseball returns home for a three-game series against Southern this weekend. It’s their last scheduled nonconference weekend series of the year.

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