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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTEP

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Rice basketball stayed perfect in Conference USA play last weekend. Both the men and the women look to build on 2-0 starts against UTEP.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 8 at 8:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Don Haskins Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 8 – CUSAtv | Jan. 9 – ESPN+

UTEP 5-3 (1-1), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 61-69 (L) at Arizona
  • 76-63 (W) at Arizona State
  • 79-59 (W) vs Benedectine
  • 66-74 OT (L) at Southern Miss
  • 77-62 (W) at Southern Miss

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Souley Boum – 19.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Bryson Williams – 8.1 per game
  • Assists | Jamal Bieniemy – 5.6 per game
  • Steals | Souley Boum – 1.9 per game
  • Blocks | Tydus Verhoeven – 0.8 per game

Rice 8-2 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans
  • 95-86 (W) vs UTSA
  • 84-69 (W) vs UTSA

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 9.5 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 4.0 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.4 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTEP’s win over Arizona State is one of the best wins from a Conference USA program this season, but the Miners did not impress this past weekend against Southern Miss. The talent looks to be there for this squad, but the consistency is not. Which UTEP team will Rice face this weekend? That could make a significant difference in the result.

For Rice, they’ll have to do a better job defending Souley Boum. In three games against the Owls last year Boum scored 27, 16 and 25 points respectively. If he has a big game, Rice is going to have to match him, at the very least.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 8 at 1:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 8 – CUSAtv / Jan. 9 – Not televised

UTEP 5-2 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 81-73 OT (W) at New Mexico State
  • 65-68 (L) at Utah State
  • 75-83 (L) at Northern Arizona
  • 83-65 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 74-72 (W) vs Southern Miss

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Katia Gallegos – 17.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Michelle Pruitt – 5.7 per game
  • Assists | Katia Gallegos – 5.0 per game
  • Steals | Katia Gallegos – 2.3 per game
  • Blocks | DejaNae Roebuck – 0.7 per game

Rice 6-1 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M
  • 78-53 (W) at UTSA
  • 69-57 (W) at UTSA

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 15.7 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 6.4 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.7 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.4 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTEP isn’t one of the big powers in women’s C-USA hoops, but they’re not going to roll over either. Led by preseason All C-USA guard Katia Gallegos, UTEP is going to look to shoot at a sturdy clip against a solid Rice defensive unit.

Ultimately, it could come down to Nancy Mulkey and company’s ability to keep Gallegos contained. If she’s not able to produce, it’s going to be hard for the Miners’ secondary and tertiary options to make these games competitive.

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Rice Basketball: 2020-2021 Midseason State of the Program

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Rice basketball started 2021 on the right foot with back-to-back wins. Where do the Owls stand as they enter the heart of Conference USA play?

There was no doubt the 2020-2021 season was going to be unique for Rice basketball. The non-conference slate was truncated and comprised entirely of teams who were either willing to come to South Main or a short bus ride away from campus. That included lower-level schools like Our Lady of the Lake and LeTourneau.

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The Owls were expected to take care of business in the nonconference slate. For the most part, they did. Rice entered Conference USA action in January 6-2, their best record (by winning percentage) prior to conference play in head coach Scott Pera’s tenure. Then they started conference play a perfect 2-0 for the first time in 14 years.

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Rice Women’s Basketball 2021: Owls fly past UTSA with ease, twice

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Rice women’s basketball continued their winning ways in Conference USA play, beating UTSA twice in two days on the road.

For the fourth consecutive season, Rice women’s basketball opened conference play 2-0. This year, both of the Owls’ victories came against the same team in the same venue. As a part of Conference USA’s efforts to reduce travel, Rice opened their conference slate with back-to-back road games against UTSA.

Rice announced the arrival in San Antonio with authority, jumping out to a 16-3 lead in the opening quarter of the Friday affair. UTSA would hang around into the before a near-perfect third quarter shooting performance from the Owls, who made 10-of-13 shots to push their lead to 20 points. Lauren Schwartz and Nancy Mulkey led the team in scoring with 19 points apiece.

More: Men’s Basketball goes 2-0 against UTSA 

UTSA managed more than three points in the opening frame during the rematch on Saturday, but the result was the same. Rice held the roadrunner to 32.9 percent shooting and never let the Roadrunners get within striking distance after the Owls took the early lead. Sydne Wiggins had a season-high 14 points, but it was Mulkey, again, who led the team in scoring with 20 points.

Rice has now won 36 of their last 38 games against Conference USA opponents. Tina Langley’s squad has adapted as they’ve gone, developing complementary pieces to keep the Owls consistently ahead of their conference foes.

Player Spotlight | Katelyn Crosthwait

Crosthwait is making the most of her insertion into the starting lineup this season. She scored 20 points across the two games against UTSA, also contributing six assists and a pair of steals. She’s continued to develop as a shot maker and consistently provides the Owls another option on that side of the court. Crosthwait was third on the team in minutes played on the weekend.

Stat Corner | Shooters shoot and stoppers stop

Rice is No. 1 in Conference USA in field goal percentage, connecting on a staggering 50% of their shots through seven games. The Owls are also No. 1 on the defensive side, limiting their opponents to 31.6 percent shooting from the field.

Old Dominion is the only other team in the conference to rank in the top half of both metrics. The Monarchs rank fourth in shooting percentage and sixth in shooting defensive percentage.

The Owls have always hung their hat on suffocating defense. Adding an explosive offense that takes (and makes) high percentage shots will make this team hard to beat in conference play.

Up Next

Rice women’s basketball will open their home slate of Conference USA games next weekend against UTEP. Once again, it will be another Friday/Saturday double feature. The Miners are 5-2 this season. Like the Owls, they also swept their opening C-USA series. UTEP took both games against Southern Miss by final scores of 83-65 and 74-72, respectively.

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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTSA

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Rice basketball opens up conference play on New Year’s Day. Both the men and the women will play back-to-back games against UTSA.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+

UTSA 4-3 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 66-105 (L) at Oklahoma
  • 91-62 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 61-73 (L) at Oregon State
  • 102-70 (W) vs Our Lady of the Lake
  • 88-66 (W) vs Lamar

Rice 6-2 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 94-74 (W) vs LeTourneau
  • 86-64 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jhivvan Jackson – 17.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Jacob Germany – 6.6 per game
  • Assists | Keaton Wallace – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Eric Parrish – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Jacob Germany – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTSA can score. In year’s past, that’s meant Rice needs to match in a shot-for-shot slugfest to come out on top. As good as Quincy Olivari has been shooting, getting more production on the defensive side of the court is more likely to pay off than a high-scoring shootout against Jhivvan Jackson and Co.

For the season, Rice ranks 11th in Conference USA in defensive field goal percentage. If Rice can get that number from where it sits entering the weekend (.424) closer to .400, they’ll have a much better chance to beat UTSA. Balanced basketball will be key.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Convocation Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 1 – CUSAtv / Jan. 2 – Not televised

UTSA 2-3 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 80-37 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 50-60 (L) vs UT Rio Grande Valley
  • 63-69 (L) at Incarnate Word
  • 73-55 (W) vs Northwestern State
  • 47-71 (L) at Sam Houston State

Rice 4-1 (0-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 83-54 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) at Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 8.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.4 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 2.0 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Adryana Quezada – 16.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Adryana Quezada – 11.7 per game
  • Assists | Karrington Donald – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Mikayla Woods – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Mikayla Woods – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

To some extent, Rice women’s basketball is still test driving their rotations and setup for 2021. The Owls have looked extremely sharp on both sides of the court, coming a shot away from upending Top 10 Texas A&M.

Rice does an excellent job of adjusting to what the opponent gives them. So far, they haven’t had to find a consistent scoring threat outside of Nancy Mulkey. A few players have crossed the 15-point bar. Jasmine Smith led the team with 18 points against Texas A&M. Having someone else to go to in crunch time could really put this team over the top.

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2020

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2020 was filled with highs and lows on the home from, but Rice Athletics made the best of the tough year. Here are some of the most impactful moments.

10. Men’s Basketball upsets C-USA regular-season champion North Texas

Rice basketball started slow out of the gates in conference play this past March, falling to 1-7 with a home game against 8-1 North Texas entering the final month of the season. Not only did the Owls put up a fight, they knocked off the eventual regular season champs. Rice shot 53.6 percent from three and hit 15 triples, includes three apiece from Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and four from Ako Adams.

9. Football signs Top 5 C-USA recruiting class

You can read more about the recent signees in detail in our recruiting updates over on Patreon. In short, the 2021 Rice Football Signing Class edged out the 2020 class for the highest-rated class in program history. The Owls currently hold the No. 4 class in C-USA and a Top 100 class in the country with a few spots remaining before National Signing Day in February.

8. Women’s Track and Field wins C-USA Indoor Championship

For the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2009, the Rice women took home the gold in the C-USA Indoor Championships. Grace Forbes and Michelle Fokam helped spur the Owls victory. Head coach Jim Bevan was recognized afterward as the Coach of the Year.

7.  Swimming top Tulane in duat meet

In their only home meet of the fall, Rice swimming emerged with a win. The Owls were dominant in the pool in the two-day meet, winning 15 of 21 events, including 400-freestyle relay. Rice set a facility record in the event, closing out the meet with a resounding 245-146 final score.

6. Women’s Basketball avenges Old Dominion loss

The Rice women’s basketball team saw a 30-game conference winning streak snapped on the road against Old Dominion. It was only fitting the Owls closed out the regular season with a rematch against the Monarchs. The game marked the final time senior Erica Ogwumike took the court for the Owls, making the victorious sendoff that much sweeter.

5. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Title

The women’s cross country squad only made one appearance this fall, but Grace Forbes made it count. The sophomore left her competition in the dust, crossing the finish line with no foes in sight. Her strong showing propelled the Owls to a fourth place finish in the meet.

4. Erica Ogwumike selected in WNBA Draft

The Ogwumike family name had already become a mainstay in WNBA circles before Erica Ogwumike played her final season at South Main. Her sisters, Nneka and Chiney, were both No. 1 overall selections. Erica went from off draft boards to becoming a third round pick of the New York Liberty, which was then traded to the Minnesota Lynx. Ogwumike said she was just grateful to hear her named called.

3. Women’s Basketball win’s second consecutive regular season title

Not only did Rice get revenge when they beat Old Dominion to close out the regular season this spring, they clinched their second consecutive regular season championship. The Owls were the favorites to cut down the nets in the conference tournament and to make a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament before COVID-19 concerns forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season.

2 Jack Fox named to NFL Pro Bowl

Released by the Chiefs last season, Fox signed a futures contract with the Detroit Lions in the offseason and won the Lions’ starting punting job in camp. From that point on, he took the NFL by storm. Fox led the NFL in most key measures for most of the season before being named to his first Pro Bowl. He’s the 12th Owl to earn a spot on a Pro Bowl roster and the first since fellow specialist Chris Boswell in 2017.

1. Rice Football shuts outs No. 15 Marshall

Rice football hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent in more than two decades when they made the trip to a cold Huntington, WV on Dec. 5 to play a then undefeated No. 15 Marshall squad. Not only did Rice win, they shut out The Herd, forcing five interceptions on their way to the upset win, a marquee victory for Rice. The Owls became the first team in 206 games to shut out Marshall at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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