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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls cruise past Little Rock

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Rice Women’s Basketball cruised past Little Rock, an NCAA Tournament team last season, behind a big day from senior guard Erica Ogwumike.

Little Rock and Rice Women’s Basketball are no strangers to each other. The two teams have met on the hardwood in now three consecutive seasons, with Rice completing the three-year, three-game sweep on Saturday. The win improved the Owls’ record to 2-0 this season.

The Rice defense was suffocating for much of this contest, allowing 10 points in the first quarter and nine points in the second. Little Rock managed 31 percent shooting from the floor in the first half. That defensive performance, combined with a 10-17 start from inside the three-point line, helped propel the Owls to a 36-19 halftime lead. They never looked back, winning by a final score of 66-40.

More: 2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball season preview

The big lead afforded Rice another opportunity to give their incoming freshmen extended action. All 14 players saw action again on Saturday including another strong shooting day from Lauren Schwartz, who finished with eight points and three rebounds.

“I’m really excited about the way we’re coming together,” head coach Tina Langley said following the win. “I think there’s a lot of new faces on the floor, a lot of pieces to try to figure out how they fit together and I like the way we’re communicating.”

Player of the Game

Like Rice, Little Rock won their conference tournament a season ago, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Although this was a battle of two March-tested teams, the Owls proved their mettle early, extending an early lead behind the incredible play of senior guard Erica Ogwumike.

For Ogwumike, it didn’t matter that center Nancy Mulkey picked up some early fouls and only played 20 minutes. A deep bench, already heavily utilized in the Owls’ season opener, was more than enough support for an outstanding showing on both ends of the court.

The big game was a reinforcement of the improvement coach Langley has seen Ogwumike make during the offseason. “The neat thing about Erica [Ogwumike] is that she plays as a playmaker. She can create for her teammates or she can progressively find ways to score,” Langely said. “She’s an elite-level scorer and sees the floor really well.”

On Saturday, Ogwumike scored the last eight points of the first half, turning a nine-point Rice advantage into a 17-point lead at halftime. She kept piling in on in the second half, finishing with a game and season-high 23 points and nine rebounds.

Up Next

The next time Rice Women’s Basketball takes the court, it will be in Dallas for their first road game of the season. The Owls visit SMU on Wednesday, Nov. 13 for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff. Last year the Owls defeated the Mustangs 66-52.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls blow past Nicholls St in season opener

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Nicholls St scored the first two points before Rice Women’s Basketball slammed the door in an emphatic season-opening rout at Tudor Fieldhouse.

In many ways, the beginning of the 2019-2020 Rice Women’s basketball season began just as last season had ended. It took less than five minutes of play before Nancy Mulkey had a block and Erica Ogwumike had a basket and bucket. A 2-0 Nicholls St lead evaporated quickly, with Rice outscoring the Colonels 17-6 throughout the remainder of the first quarter.

The Owls used their trademark suffocating defense to make their early double-digit lead feel insurmountable. They held Nicholls St to 27.8 percent shooting from the field in the first half. By half, they’d more than doubled up their opponent.

More: 2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball season preview

From there it was clockwork for the Owls, who had already turned quickly to their young bench. Freshmen Lauren Schwartz, Destiny Jackson, Katelyn Crosthwait, India Bellamy, Ashlee Austin and Arianna McCurry made their collegiate debuts, with Schwartz earning a starting nod. Every player on the roster saw action, 12 scored and 12 registered at least one rebound. Rice would go on to win by a final score of 71-41.

“We hoped that we could come out and get out to a good lead and make sure we got an opportunity to see everyone together in different lineups,” head coach Tina Langley said after the game.” It was good to have that opportunity today.”

Player of the Game

Prior to the beginning of the season, Erica Ogwumike was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list which honors the best shooting guard in the nation. Nancy Mulkey was named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, honoring the best center. We knew those two stars were going to shine bright for Rice Women’s Basketball this season. What we didn’t know for sure, was who would step up to join them.

Sophomore guard Haylee Swayzee would like to throw her hat into the ring. Swayze was eighth on the team in minutes played last season, averaging 4.3 points per game with 22 three-pointers. She did much more than that in her first action of the 2019-2020 season. On Tuesday, she knocked down four shots from deep and led the team with 22 points.

“It was really fun,” Swayze said of her big night before pivoting to her supporting cast. “I think we’ve done a really good job of playing together as a team, we’ve really embraced our “Go Together” [motto] this year,”

If the Owls can add some outside shooting to their one-two punch on the interior, this is going to be a very scary team come March.

Up Next

Rice Women’s Basketball gets one more home game before their first trip away from South Main. They host Arkansas Little Rock on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. It’ll be a double-header for Rice fans. The men play their home opener following the conclusion of the women’s contest at 3:30 p.m.

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2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2019-2020 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad bent on returning to the NCAA Tournament this season.

The last time the Rice women’s basketball team took the court they left it with a sour taste in their mouths. The Owls led Marquette in a first round NCAA Tournament game by nine points with minutes left in regulation. Rather than advance to the next round, a rematch with the Texas A&M Aggies, the Owls faltered and saw their storybook season end in overtime.

There has been plenty of time for soul searching since that game. A new season is right around the corner, one which this team hopes will end much later in March than the last. Here’s a bit more on the coach, the players, the roster, and what to expect from this team in 2019 and beyond.

The Coach – Tina Langley

Upon the completion of last season, Rice signed Langley to a five-year extension. The reigning Conference USA coach of the year led the Owls to their first-ever ranking in the AP and Coaches Poll, a perfect regular season in conference play and set program records with 21 consecutive wins and 28 total victories in a season.

Rice women’s basketball has been on the upswing since Langley took over prior to the 2015-2016 season. The Owls have seen their overall win total and conference win totals increase each subsequent season, finishing last season with a sterling 28-4 record. As long as Langley is at the helm, the future for Rice women’s basketball remains extremely bright.

Last Season Snapshot

With center Nancy Mulkey sidelined by injury, Rice lost their first two games of the 2018-2019 season to No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 23 UCLA. Following their 0-2 start, the team won 28 of their next 29 games. A road loss to North Carolina in mid-December was their only blemish during the remainder of the regular season.

More: Rice Men’s Basketball Season Preview

Rice won all 16 of their conference games, only one of which was decided by less than 10 points. The Owls stayed perfect in three Conference USA Basketball Tournament games, rallying to take down Middle Tennessee to secure the Tournament Championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, their first trip to the Big Dance in 14 years.

The Schedule

Rice Women’s Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 5, 2019 – Season opener vs Nicholls State
Nov. 17, 2019 – Owls host Texas A&M at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 23, 2019 – Owls visit Oklahoma State
Dec. 20-21, 2019 – 2019 Puerto Rico Classic vs Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech
Jan. 2, 2020 – Conference USA opener vs Marshall
Feb. 22, 2020 – Conference USA bonus play begins

You can find the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule here.

Projected Starters

PLAYER MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK
Erica Ogwumike 32.4 16.5 10.5 2.7 1.6 0.3
Nancy Mulkey 26.3 13.9 5.8 1.3 0.7 3.9
Sydne Wiggins 28.5 6.9 2.5 2.4 1.0 0.2
Jasmine Smith 27.5 6.1 2.3 2.3 0.9 0.3
Haylee Swayze 13.1 4.3 1.6 0.4 0.3 0.3

The Returning Players

No. 2 – Sydne Wiggins, Guard (Jr.)

5-foot-11

A returning starter and one of the Owls’ foremost returning outside shooters, Wiggins was one four different players to make more than 20 shots from beyond the arc. She finished second on the team in steals, proving to be as dangerous without the ball in her hands as she was when she was knocking down shots.

No. 10 – Jasmine Smith, Guard (So.)

5-foot-7

The only freshman to start every game for Rice last season, Smith was a shutdown defender. Her efforts on opposing shooters helped the lead Owls’ to the No. 1 scoring defense in the conference, allowing 52.8 points per game. She frequently turned her defensive efforts into offensive successes and tied Wiggins with 30 steals.

No. 11 – Haylee Swayze, Guard (So.)

5-foot-11

Swayze was a prominent member of a promising freshman class who saw some action in 28 of 32 games, averaging 13.1 minutes per contest. After the five starters and sixth woman Lauren Grigsby, Swayze was one of the more active bench players for Rice last season. When she was called upon, she made a difference from behind the three-point line with 22 long-range buckets.

No. 13 – Erica Ogwumike, Guard (Sr.)

5-foot-9

Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year Erica Ogwumike was the catalyst on both ends of the court for this team last season. Since transferring to Rice from Pepperdine following the 2015-2016 season, Ogwumike has been nearly unstoppable at South Main. She tallied a double-double (18 times) more often than she didn’t and led the conference in rebounds. Her leadership and talent have been instrumental in the Owls’ recent success.

No. 21 – Arianna McCurry, Center (So.)

6-foot-6

McCurry saw most of her action before the Owls got into the heart of Conference USA action. She played a career-high 10 minutes against McNeese State and scored six points in five minutes against FAU, a game in which she also tallied a pair of blocks and three rebounds.

No. 23 – Alexah Chrisman, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-2

Chrisman saw most of her action as the primary backup to starting center Nancy Mulkey. Seven inches shorter than Mulkey, Chrisman wasn’t the same caliber shot blocker, but she provided a physical presence in the paint and was a trustworthy conduit for the offense and defense when Mulkey needed a breather.

No. 24 – Temi Alao, Center (So.)

5-foot-10

Injuries kept Alao from seeing the court as a true freshman, but she played in 18 games as a redshirt sophomore in the 2018-2019 campaign. The bulk of her involvement came at the beginning of the season, including a career-high 24 minutes against Texas A&M. She had three or more rebounds in nine appearances.

No. 25 – Kendall Ellig, Forward (Jr.)

6-foot-1

Ellig played a reserve role for the Owls last season, seeing a few minutes here and there throughout conference play. She played in 13 C-USA games, but never tallied more than nine minutes, playing less than three minutes seven times in those contests. She scored in four games and had a career-best four rebounds against FAU.

No. 32 – Nancy Mulkey, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-9

Mulkey is the tallest player in women’s college basketball. Every time she takes the court she gives Rice a mismatch no other team in the country can counteract. When healthy, Mulkey is the difference-maker that separates Rice from their competition, leading the NCAA in blocks per game and setting the school record with 94 blocked shots last season.

The New Additions

Rice signed five players in their 2019 recruiting class, which ranked first in Conference USA.

No. 3 – Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-10

Crosthwait averaged 24 points per game as a junior, one year removed from being named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. She can shoot from close range and from distance and create opportunities for others with the basketball.

No. 5 – Destiny Jackson, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-9

The only native Texan in the class, Jackson hails from Mansfield Texas. She was named to the 2018 UIL All-Tournament team following her senior season.

No. 12 – India Bellamy, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-1

A small forward out of McDonough, Georgia, Bellamy is can score from the wing and play great defense. She was the GACA South Junior All-Star MVP.

No. 15 – Lauren Schwartz, Forward (Fr.)

5-foot-11

Scwartz led her school to their first regional championship in program history, finishing the year with 29 victories. The MVP of Kentucky’s 9th region, Schwartz is an elite scorer with more than enough athleticism to win on the boards.

No. 22 – Ashlee Austin, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-0

Austin averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in her senior season. From Johns Creek, Georgia, she was the 2017-2018 Region 7-6A Player of the Year and an AJC First Team All-State selection.

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2019-2020 Rice Basketball Season Preview

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The 2019-2020 Rice basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad which looks to take a step forward this coming season.

You’ll hear the word consistency thrown around a lot at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. This new incarnation of Rice basketball will look to fix that nagging thorn from a year ago and take the next step in their quest for Conference USA Basketball supremacy.

The group tasked with taking that next step is a year wiser and a year more experienced. Ako Adams and Chis Mullins will be the heartbeat, with weapons like Trey Murphy to pick teams apart from long range and Robert Martin to patrol the paint. The bench is deep and should be more action this season. Here’s a bit more on the coach, the players, the roster, and what to expect from this team in 2019 and beyond.

The Coach – Scott Pera

This upcoming season will be the third for Scott Pera as the head coach of Rice basketball and his sixth season at South Main — Pera was an assistant with the Owls from 2014 to 2017 before being promoted to the head chair prior to the 2017-2018 season.

Pera’s first season was a reboot as the team worked to rebuild a roster. He went from 7-24 that year to 13-19 last year improving from 4-14 in Conference USA play to 8-10 this past season. Now he’ll be tasked with taking one more step with a roster which returns most of its key players, with the exception of departed senior Jack Williams and transferee Quentin Millora-Brown.

Last Season Snapshot

After weathering a fairly challenging nonconference slate which included games at Houston, BYU and Wichita State, the Owls were more or less a .500 club the rest of the way. Rice was fourth in the conference in scoring (74.0 points per game) but 12th in scoring defense (77.5).

More: Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

The Owls relied on the third-best clip from three-point range among C-USA teams (34.8 percent) but did not do a good job protecting the basketball. Their -2.34 turnover margin ranked 11th in the conference. Much of the turnover issues seemed to stem from young players learning on the job, something Rice hopes to improve with a full year of experience under the belts of their most important contributors.

The Schedule

Rice Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Oct. 31, 2019 – Exhibition vs St Edwards
Nov. 5, 2019 – Season opener at Arkansas
Nov. 9, 2019 – Home opener vs Penn
Nov. 19, 2019 – Owls host Houston at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 22, 2019 – 2019 Islands of the Bahamas Showcase
Jan. 2, 2020 – Conference USA opener at Marshall
Jan. 9, 2020 – Conference USA home opener vs FAU
Feb. 22, 2020 – Conference USA bonus play begins

You can find the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule here.

Projected Starters

PLAYER MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK
Ako Adams 27.3 11.2 2.6 2.6 0.6 0
Chris Mullins 28.8 12 2.8 2.7 1.2 0.1
Trey Murphy III 20.6 8.4 2.6 0.7 0.5 0.5
Robert Martin 25.6 12.2 6.2 1.7 0.9 0.3
Josh Parrish 19.8 6.3 2.8 1.1 0.7 0.5

The Returning Players

No. 0 – Payton Moore, Guard (So.)

6-foot-4, 205 pounds

Moore was a rotation player for the Owls last season who averaged 11 minutes per game. He appeared in all but one contest, doing well on the glass when he was on the court, averaging a little more than three rebounds per appearance.

No. 1 – Josh Parrish, Guard (R-Jr.)

6-foot-4, 215 pounds

Parrish alternated between being the team’s sixth man and a starting role last season. He leads all returning players in field goal percentage (.504) and was accurate from an impressive 61.3 percent of his two-point shots. His role could increase this season considering the minutes vacated by Jack Williams.

No. 2 – Trey Murphy III, Guard (So.)

6-foot-8, 200 pounds

The Owls are excited about the growth of sophomore sharpshooter Trey Murphy. He attempted and made at least one three-point shot in 29 of 32 games, knocking down three or more on 12 separate occasions including five of seven at home against UAB last January.

No. 3 – Ako Adams, Guard (Sr.)

6-foot-3, 175 pounds

A senior leader for this relatively young team, Ako Adams is going to be one of the two players trusted to handle the ball on the majority of Rice possessions. Adams is a career .359 three point shooter who started to heat up during conference play last year where he hit  40 percent of his shots from distance. He finished one shy of Chris Mullins for the team lead in assists.

No. 5 – Addison Owen, Guard (Sr.)

6-foot-5, 195 pounds

Owen made two appearances off the bench for Rice last season and has appeared in nine games during his three-year career with the Owls. He was one of two players on the team named to the NABC Honors Court which honors academic achievements for student athletes. He is expected to hold a similarly limited role this coming season.

No. 10 – Robert Martin, Forward (Sr.)

6-foot-6, 220 pounds

Coach Pera has identified Martin as a key leader on the team alongside Ako Adams. Although Martin only started one game last season, his presence was felt in almost every contest. He led the team in total scoring. His 25.6 minutes played per game were third-most among returning players and he topped all returning Owls with 197 rebounds (4.8 per game).

No. 23 – Drew Peterson, Guard/Forward (So.)

6-foot-8, 185 pounds

Peterson was another player who saw his time wax back and forth between starter and key reserve last season. No matter the role, he served as a rebound presence for the Owls when he was on the court. He grabbed 106 boards and had a keen eye on what to do with the ball when he got it in his hands, racking up 49 assists along the way.

No. 24 – Chris Mullins, Guard (So.)

6-foot-3, 190 pounds

The complement to Ako Adams, Mullins’ role grew significantly as last season progressed. Mullins was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team, just the sixth Rice player to ever receive that designation. He’s an excellent facilitator and someone the Owls will rely on to coordinate their efforts on the offensive side of the court this season.

No. 35 – Tim Harrison, Forward (Sr.)

6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Harrison appeared in 14 games last season, averaging just shy of a point per game. Alongside Addison Owen, Harrison was also named to the NABC Honors Court. He’ll continue to be a reserve player for this team going forward

The New Additions

No. 13 – Tommy McCarthy, Guard (Gr.)

6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Joining the Owls by way of Harvard, McCarthy hopes to be the next grad transfer to make a name for himself at South Main. Jack Williams, who came to Rice from Pacific, became a fixture in the Owls’ lineup in his lone season at Rice. Williams started every game, averaging 9.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest. McCarthy started 26 games in three healthy seasons with the Crimson, highlighted by a strong freshman season in which he averaged 24.8 minutes and 8.8 points per game.

No. 15 – Max Fiedler, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-10, 235 pounds

The tallest man on the roster eligible to play this season, Fiedler committed to the Owls in the fall. With Quentin Millora-Brown transferring to Vanderbilt in the offseason, Fiedler could carve out a role of some sort based on his athletic profile alone.

No. 20 – Zach Crisler, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-9, 215 pounds

Another member of the 2019 signing class, Crisler is an intriguing stretch forward who could wear a number of hats for the Owls. Rice beat out prominent programs like Penn State and TCU to secure his services. Crisler is continuing to get bigger and stronger, both aspects which will help him find a way to contribute.

No. 4 – Quincy Olivari, Guard (Fr.)

6-foot-2, 190 pounds

Olivari, Crisler and Fiedler were all Top 500 recruits with Olivari checking in nearest the top of the ranks as the No. 430 prospect in the nation and the N0. 23 player in the state of Georgia. This combo guard is going to help Rice push the pace on both ends and is dangerous when he does decide to spot up and shoot.

No. 12 – Ben Moffat, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-8, 225 pounds

Moffat is a priority walk-on excited for his opportunity to be a part of the team. “Every player has to work hard,” he says, “but as a  walk-on, I’ll need to work harder than anybody else. I need to be the first one at practice and the last one to leave, and that’s something I’m prepared to do.”

No. 14 – Reed Myers, Guard (Fr.)

6-foot-0, 180 pounds

A First Team 2A All-State selection and Metro Region First Team Offensive Player of the Year out of Scottsdale Christian Academy in Arizona, Myers is going to bring some offensive punch to the team. Myers excelled at a small school and will be ready to take on a new challenge with the Owls this season.

Malik Ondigo, Forward (Jr.)

6-foot-10, 215 pounds

Ondigo signed with the Owls in June after spending the last two seasons at Texas Tech. He appeared in 14 games as a freshman, setting season highs in points (six) and rebounds (four) against Iowa State. He had an increased role in 2018, playing in 18 games for the Red Raiders who advanced to the Final Four and the National Championship Game. His best outing last year came against Mississippi Valley State where he scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: 2020 Center Mylyjael Poteat commits to Owls

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The 2020 Rice Basketball recruiting class got bigger and better with their second commitment of the class, adding center Mylyjael Poteat from North Carolina.

With the 2019-2020 Rice basketball season drawing near, the Owls are working to make their team better on multiple fronts. Those on campus started practice last week, prepping for the upcoming campaign. At the same time, the 2020 Rice basketball recruiting class is growing.

After adding 6-foot-4 forward Cameron Sheffield in the spring, Rice picked up their second commitment in their 2020 class on Monday. 6-foot-9 center Mylyjael Poteat from the Burlington School in North Carolina has made his pledge to the Owls. His commitment makes Rice the only C-USA school with multiple players commitment to their 2020 class.

In addition to Rice, Poteat had offers from American, Boston University, Dartmouth, Brown, Lehigh and Radford. He had also received interest from Penn and Wofford.

On the court, there’s a lot to like about Poteat’s game. For a guy of his size, he moves well. He’s trimmed about 25 pounds since August, checking in closer to 250 pounds. The slimmer Poteat has good hands and great footwork in the paint. He’s going to be a tremendous defender with some good touch on the offensive side of his game.

More: View the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule

Poteat is athletic, giving him a great base to build on as he continues to develop. His potential by the time he gets to Rice will only climb higher as he continues to work. If you’re Rice, you want to get talented players with upside. Poteat checks both boxes.

Poteat said he “fell in love with the entire staff and team” and was “impressed with what goes on behind the scenes in terms of player development.” When asked how he knew Rice was the place he wanted to be, Poteat was emphatic. “[Rice is] a great university where I really see myself flourishing.”

A 2020 Rice basketball preview is in the works. We’ll have it up on the site in the coming weeks before the Owls tip off their season in a home exhibition against St. Edwards on Halloween night at 7:00 p.m.

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