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UTSA upset ends Rice Women’s Basketball’s CUSA Tournament run

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Rice women’s basketball was upset in their opening game of the Conference USA Tournament, falling to 6-Seed UTSA in Frisco.

After earning a first round bye, Rice Women’s Basketball took the court on Wednesday afternoon against UTSA looking to punch their ticket to the semifinals. Things were tenuous early on, with both teams struggling from the field in the first quarter. Rice would hit two free throws to end the first frame before they really found their groove.

The second quarter was almost entirely all Owls. Rice scored the first 12 points of the frame, opening up a 15-point lead against the No. 6 seeded Roadrunners. The Owls held their opponents to 14.3 percent shooting from the floor in the quarter, winning the battle on the boards 16-8 and controlling the tempo throughout.

Up by 12 at the half, it looked like Rice had a golden opportunity to put the game away when UTSA leading scorer Jordyn Jenkins hit the bench with four fouls midway through the third quarter. It never materialized. Rice couldn’t get into a rhythm on offense and UTSA stuck around. Despite the lull, Rice still led at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter.

Entering Thursday, Rice was 20-0 when leading with five minutes left in the game. They’re 20-1 now after Jenkins returned to the game and spurred a 28-point quarter, UTSA’s largest output in a single quarter this season. While the Roadrunners heated up, the Owls wilted, ending a largely positive regular season in disappointing fashion.

Final Box | UTSA 62 – Rice 54

Key takeaway | Not destiny

What head coach Lindsay Edmonds was able to accomplish down the stretch given her lineup constraints was impressive. Rice played significant portions of February without at least one of Malia Fisher, Ashlee Austin, Destiny Jackson or Trinity Gooden available. Jackson couldn’t go on Thursday and her absence was felt, particularly in the fourth quarter when it seemed no one else was able to create their own opportunities.

Rice managed to lose just two games with that fluctuating roster throughout the month of February. Unfortunately, they lost their last one in March, and that’s the one that mattered most. Depth matters, but difference-makers do, too. UTSA’s Jordyn Jenkins drove that point home with a game-high 22-points on Thursday.

Up Next | ???

It probably would have taken a stronger run through the Conference USA Tournament for Rice women’s basketball to have qualified for the WNIT. It’s possible the WBI is still in play, though. That’s scheduled to host eight teams from March 16 to March 19.

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Rice Basketball escapes UTSA, advances in CUSA Tournament

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Rice basketball is moving on in the Conference USA Tournament, surviving a waved-off buzzer-beater to advance past UTSA.

Slow starts had been the painfully recurring theme for Rice basketball in their recent cold spell, but that streak did not continue into the first round of the Conference USA Tournament. Rice opened up their game against UTSA on an 8-0 run, pushing the pace and taking control of the matchup with the league’s bottom seed early.

Rice continued to shoot well throughout the game, but it was the Owls’ defense that helped the hold their early advantage. A block at the halftime buzzer sent them into the break with a nine-point advantage, which would not prove to be as safe as it felt at the time. UTSA rallied in the second half, tying the game at 46-46. The fight was on.

Although Rice never trailed, the margins felt razor-thin right up until the literal final second. With 7.0 seconds on the clock and a one-point lead, guard Quincy Olivari walked to the free-throw line to shoot a one-and-one. He missed. The rebound went to UTSA and the Owls watched guard Japhet Medor drive the length of the court and put up the would-be game-winning shot at the buzzer.

“Live, I thought it was late. But when they took all that time I got really nervous,” head coach Scott Pera said.

UTSA celebrated. The referees went to the monitor. After conferring for what felt like forever, it was determined the shot was not released in time. The basket was no good. Rice had won.

“This is March Madness, right?” Pera mused. “That was some madness.”

Final Box | Rice 72 – UTSA 71

Key takeaway | Hope is not a strategy

At the end of the day, Pera and his team just had to wait. The officials and the monitors had the fate of the Owls’ season in their hands. One signal, and it could have all been over. “You have no control over it,” Pera admitted. “It’s just did it get off his fingers or not, and it’s a very strange feeling.”

UTSA took Rice down to the wire twice in the regular season. They got as close as could have been imagined this time around. The 10-23 Roadrunners had the Owls’ season on the brink..

“Kid made a heck of a play, a very tough shot. It just happened to be, I don’t know, a quarter second too late,” Pera admitted. “We were the beneficiaries of that. We’re appreciative to get the win and we’re happy to still be playing.”

Rice moves on to play UAB, who two weeks ago routed Rice in Birmingham. The rematch will be played in Frisco, but it’s going to require a lot more than hope for Rice to keep their season alive against the Blazers.

Against UTSA, Rice had a fast start. They shot the ball well. They had a great contribution off the bench from Andrew Akuchie. And it still went down to the wire. The Owls will have their work cut out for them against the Blazers. They’re going to need to bring their A-game. Hope won’t be enough to get by this time.

Up Next: vs No. 3 UAB, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+

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2023 Conference USA Basketball Tournament: Men’s and Women’s Previews

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The 2023 Conference USA Basketball Tournament tips off in Frisco, TX this week. Here’s a preview of the action.

Conference USA Basketball – Men’s Tournament

The Favorite: Florida Atlantic

The nation’s No. 1 team, Houston, is the only program in the nation that has lost fewer games than Florida Atlantic. The Owls shocked many when they ran through Conference USA this season and are deservedly the clear frontrunner to win the conference tournament. An at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament seems probable but is by no means a sure thing at this point, so they should be plenty motivated to finish what they’ve started.

The Contender: UAB

UAB is a different basketball team when Jelly Walker is on the court. Since his return, UAB has lost a grand total of one game (on the road against a good North Texas team). The Blazers have depth, experience and a star. If FAU doesn’t cut down the nets, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see these preseason favorites take home the title.

The Sleeper: Middle Tennessee

The men’s field really feels shallow this season, at least in terms of teams outside the top three who could go on a run and win the tournament. Middle Tennessee might just be the sweet spot. The Blue Raiders were one of very few teams to beat No. 1 Seed FAU in the regular season and they play stingy defense, which always seems to grow in importance in the month of March.

Conference USA Basketball – Women’s Tournament

The Favorite: Middle Tennessee

The only nationally ranked team in Conference USA, Middle Tennessee has had one bad weekend since November. It’s possible they have an off day, but it sure doesn’t seem probable at this point. The Blue Raiders have three of the top 10 scorers in the conference and the conference’s No. 1 scoring defense. Weaknesses are far and few between.

The Contender: UTEP

If anyone can take down to Middle Tennesee, it’s probably one of the two teams to achieve the feat during the regular season. The Miners protect the basketball well and are among the conference leaders in assists per game. While they lack a singular dominant player, they do have a host of players that can score, making them a challenging matchup defensively.

The Sleeper: Rice

Aside from Middle Tennessee, no one has been better since the midpoint of January than the Rice Owls. After beginning conference play 1-4, Rice has won 12 of their last 15 and has won several of those with some of their top players in and out of the lineup. They’re trending toward being back near full strength by the time the tournament comes around, which should scare some of the rest of the pack.

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Rice Basketball fades down the stretch, falls to FIU

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Rice basketball ended the regular season with a thud, losing a halftime lead before falling at home on Senior Day to FIU.

Fans inside the confines of Tudor Fieldhouse were treated to an entertaining back-and-forth contest as Rice basketball and FIU wrapped up their regular seasons with vigor. FIU took a seven-point lead in the first half in the back of a 10-0 run only to see Rice immediately flip the script, countering with a 10-0 run of their own capped off with back-to-back threes from Travis Evee.

That’s how the game seemed to go from start to finish. Both teams shot well (Rice 50.8 percent — FIU 49.2 percent), making it feel like the game would be decided in the final minutes. In a way, it was, but not like many would have expected. With 4:33 remaining in the second half, Evee put Rice up three with a layup. Rice would not score from the field for the remainder of the game.

Two free throws, both from Evee, would interrupt a thunderous finish from FIU, who outscored Rice 12-2 from that point onward. The Owls had their chances, but turnovers and poor rebounding killed opportunities for a late rally.

Final Box | FIU 90 – Rice 83

Key takeaway | Sluggish second half

Rice basketball opened conference play 6-3. They would win just two of their remaining 11 games, falling from a potential first-round bye in the Conference USA Conference Tournament to a play-in game, stacking the deck against themselves in the process. For a team that showed so much promise early in the year, the regular season ends in a rather disappointing fashion.

As things currently stand, Rice looks likely to be the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, pairing them with No. 11 seed UTSA in a potential first round game which would be played on Wednesday, March 8. The winner of that contest would go on to play No. 3 seed UAB.

Up Next: Conference USA Tournament, Round 1

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Rice Women’s Basketball caps off regular season with win at FIU

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Rice women’s basketball wrapped up a Sunshine state sweep on Saturday, defeating FIU two days after FAU to complete the regular season.

Rice women’s basketball finished off the regular season just like they started it — riding a lengthy winning streak. The Owls’ Saturday victory over FIU was the fifth consecutive win for Rice, which clinched a first-round bye in the upcoming Conference USA Conference Tournament in the process.

Early on it looked like reaching that fifth straight win would come easy for the Owls, who parlayed a strong start into a 45-30 halftime lead. It wouldn’t be quite that easy, though. FIU opened the third quarter on a 24-6 run, forcing five Rice turnovers in that stretch and turning what could have been a one-sided affair into a rock fight down the stretch.

Malia Fisher and India Bellamy fouled out. Destiny Jackson and Trinity Gooden did not play. Still, with the lineup shortened, Rice found a way. They weathered the FIU rally and answered with one of their own, pulling away late to prevent any opportunity for an FIU upset.

Final Box | Rice 96 – FIU 84

Key takeaway | Bye, bye, bye

Rice women’s basketball won’t be playing on Wednesday in Frisco. Their win on Saturday secured the Owls the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Conference Tournament. That entitles them to a first-round bye as they await the winner of the game between No. 6 seed UTSA and No. 11 seed UAB. It also cements a rather impressive Year 2 for head coach Lindsay Edmonds and her staff.

Edmonds went 14-13 (8-9) in her first season with Rice women’s basketball. She ends the 2022-2023 regular season 22-7 (13-7). That’s a sizable jump and has her program viewed as one of the favorites entering the conference tournament rather than the upstart underdog they were last season.

Up Next: Conference USA Tournament, Round 2

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