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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls cruise past Marshall to open C-USA play

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Rice Women’s Basketball got back on the right track with a dominant win over Marshall in their first Conference USA action of the season.

From Nancy Mulkey’s opening lay up to the final buzzer, Rice women’s basketball looked completely in control of their conference opener against Marshall. The Owls had been all over the place in recent weeks. On Thursday they looked eerily similar to the same team that won 19 consecutive games against C-USA opponents last season.

Rice opened up an early 16-6 lead. Their passes were crisp and their off-ball movement set up plenty of opportunities. They constantly made the extra pass, and were rewarded with good shots.

Then the Owls went ice cold from floor. They made 6 of their next 21 shots (28.5 percent), but managed to extend their lead thanks to lockdown defense. Up 27-14, they cranked up the afterburners, hitting five shots in a row from the field on their way to a 15-0 run to close the first half with a 37-14 advantage.

The second half was all cruise control. Rice had all of their starters off the court before the third quarter came to a close. A core of freshmen and younger players took the massive lead and extended it, finishing off an emphatic opening statement to begin conference play, winning 81-43. Their 81 points tied a season-high while their 40 points allowed were the fewest since they beat Little Rock 66-40 on Nov. 9.

Final Stats

Player of the game – Eric Ogwumike

The Owls’ leading scorer and top rebounder was involved in every possession on both ends of the court. She’s the glue that holds this team together. Rice can win without a dominant night from Ogwumike, but when she’s playing at her peak, it’s hard for other schools in the conference to keep pace. Despite only playing 22 minutes, Ogwumike picked up her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

An honorable mention, Lauren Schwartz played a fantastic game. She made a halfcourt block, chased down the ball on the other side of the court and layed it up for two points. Later on, she stole a long pass then went behind the back to maintain possession. That led to Rice points as well. Every time she touches the ball, something magical could happen,

Up Next

Rice hosts Western Kentucky on Saturday. The Hilltoppers entered conference play 8-3. The Owls last faced WKU in the Conference USA Tournament, beating them in a tightly contested game, 64-57.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Men and women open C-USA play vs Marshall

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Rice Basketball starts conference play on Thursday with the men and women each taking on Marshall. The women are at home. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+

Marshall 6-7 (0-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 86-50 (W) vs Bluefield State
  • 89-62 (W) at Morehead State
  • 90-72 (W) vs Eastern Kentucky
  • 88-80 (L) at Northern Iowa
  • 83-61 (W) at Duquesne

Rice 8-5 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 77-69 (W) vs ECU
  • 73-60 (L) vs Lamar
  • 96-84 (W) vs HBU
  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St

Marshall players to watch

The Thundering Herd are still trying to figure out how to replace Conference USA’s all-time leading scorer, Jon Elmore. So far, they’ve relied on a combo of Jarrod West and Taevion Kinsey to carry the load. Both are playing upwards of 34 minutes per game while averaging north of 14 points.

Rice keys to victory

Marshall is one of the best rebounding teams in Conference USA. Six different players have 48 or more boards through 13 games and nine have posted more than 30 rebounds this season. Winning on the offensive glass has been a struggle for Rice basketball this season. The Owls are 11th in C-USA with 9.4 offensive rebounds per game. The Owls should be able to shoot with Marshall, but giving their opponents too many extra chances could snowball on them quickly.

Rice Women's Basketball

Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV

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

  • 85-41 (W) vs Alderson-Broaddus
  • 72-60 (W) vs Indiana State
  • 82-69 (L) vs Bowling Green
  • 66-41 (L) at Rutgers
  • 59-56 (L) at Towson

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

  • 71-57 (W) vs Northern Arizona
  • 63-56 (L) at Texas Southern
  • 77-55 (W) vs Prairie View A&M
  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech

Marshall players to watch

Freshman guard Savannah Wheeler has been a breath of fresh air for the Marshall frontcourt. She’s scored in double-digits in 11 of her first 13 collegiate games, posting 18 in her debut against Kentucky Christian. She’s dangerous from deep, as it Taylor Pearson who leads the team with a .400-clip from three.

Rice keys to victory

Rice can’t allow any frustration from their tough start to linger in their first game back in Houston following a disappointing Puerto Rico trip. Marshall is third in C-USA in assists and second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio. They don’t make a lot of mistakes and work to find open shooters. Rice will have the size advantage and plenty of quickness on the wings. They need to use it.

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Top 10 moments from Rice Athletics in 2019

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2019 was an incredible year for Rice Athletics. It’s hard to boil down the success into a single list, but here are some of the most impactful moments of the year.

10. Baseball run-rules TCU at Shriner’s College Classic

Baseball’s first season under Matt Bragga was filled with ups and downs. The absolute shellacking the Owls’ laid on TCU at Minute Maid Park stands out as a high point. A perennial Omaha-bound squad, TCU looked stunned when the Rice exploded for nine runs in the final two innings. Cade Edwards blasted a dagger into the Crawford Boxes, ending the game in seven innings.

9. Football signs 17 in early signing period

The Owls haven’t had a top-five class in Conference USA since 2013, but are well on their way with the first installments of the 2020 Rice Football recruiting class. Rice entered the early signing period in the top four classes in the conference and has a few more weeks to add to the total. Dynamic athletes like Sean Fresch, Andrew Mason, Plae Wyatt and Mike Leone are going to help raise the floor, and the ceiling, for this program.

8.  Soccer goes 6-3-1 in C-USA play

The first year under a new head coach is filled with uncertainty, but Rice soccer and Brian Lee had a tremendous 2019 season. Rice won 10 games for the fifth time in six years and lost just one conference game, a feat the program achieved only one other time this decade.

7. Blaze Alldredge named first-team All-Conference USA

From junior college to the top of Conference USA, Blaze Alldredge’s story is incredible. He was the leader of a Rice defense that went from one of the conference’s worst to one of its’ best and is expected to return Alldredge and the majority of its key contributors in 2020. Neither Alldredge or this defense will fly under the radar next year.

6. Anthony Rendon wins World Series

In a moment bittersweet for native Houstonians, former Rice baseball great Anthony Rendon won the World Series in his hometown. The Washington Nationals’ third baseman had eight hits in the series, including a pair of game-changing home runs. He celebrated by signing a 7-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angels Angels during the offseason.

5. Women’s basketball makes NCAA Tournament

Rice Women’s basketball looked every bit the part in their first NCAA Tournament appearance of the decade. The Owls pushed Marquette to the wire, faltering late. The duo of Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey gave opponents nightmares and both are back for another shot in 2020.

4. Volleyball upsets No. 3 Texas

Rice volleyball delivered their biggest win in program history in front of a record crowd at Tudor Fieldhouse. It took five all five sets, but the home team delivered an upset for the ages, downing then-No. 3 Texas before celebrations broke out all over the arena. It’s hard to find an individual win more impressive than this one across all of Rice Athletics in 2019.

3. Women’s Basketball and Volleyball ranked for the first time ever

The upswing in Rice Athletics could be encapsulated in the first-time rankings of the women’s basketball and volleyball programs. Both teams had stellar seasons that warranted national attention. Not only did they both receive those honors, but they changed the perception of Rice on the national stage. Rice is no longer just any other school, it’s an elite institution with high-caliber athletes that can win big.

2. Football closes with three straight wins

There were rumblings of improvement, but an 0-9 start had Rice football in a tough spot. They knew they needed to start winning — and they’d come close several times — but getting over the hump proved to be a tougher task than expected. Once Rice got the taste of victory, they didn’t look back. The football team closed the year with three straight wins, the first time Rice has ended the year that well since 2013 when they won the conference title.

1. Women’s Basketball goes undefeated C-USA

No matter the sport or the conference, going undefeated is really hard to do. Rice women’s basketball did just that, blowing out the majority of their conference opponents in dazzling fashion on their way to a conference championship. Including the conference tournament, the Owls went a perfect 19-0 against Conference opponents.

Honorable Mentions…

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

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Rice Basketball: Hot start not enough as Owls fall to Houston

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The blue and white-clad Rice basketball squad started red-hot, only to be cooled down by Quentin Grimes and the resilient Houston Cougars.

The crowd was roaring from start to finish at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. A fairly even mix of red and blue was hardly ever silent as cross-town rivals Rice basketball and Houston battled it out on the hardwood in front of them.

The home team that came out swinging. Two foul shots from Trey Murphy got things started. He quickly followed those with a pair of three-point bombs to give Rice an 8-0 lead. The Cougars found their success on the boards early, but their rebounding edge only had a marginal impact as Rice kept making shot after shot, after shot… after shot.

Houston cut the Rice lead to two midway through the first half before Rice went on a 13-0 run behind two long three-pointers from Robert Martin. The Cougars battled back, but a Trey Murphy dunk to close out the half gave Rice a 39-32 lead at the break.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball drops close one to No. 5 Texas A&M – Recap

The second half was a slugfest. Houston quickly equalized as the teams traded haymakers for the remainder of the contest. When Houston scored, Rice always found an answer. Robert Martin continued on from a strong first half with Drew Peterson surging with several timely shots.

The two sides traded single-digit advantages until the Cougars’ Quentin Grimes caught fire. The Kansas transfer hit four three-pointers in the final six minutes of regulation, turning a close game into an 11-point Houston lead in the final minute. The Owls did the best they could to extend the game with free throws, but Houston prevailed 97-89.

“There’s no moral victories right now in this program anymore,” head coach Scott Pera said following the game. “I thought we played winning basketball for about 34 minutes… we expected to win and we came up short.”

Player of the Game – Drew Peterson

The balance that Rice basketball has exhibited on the court since their opening night loss has been pristine. The usual suspects — Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and Ako Adams — have had big games, but, by and large, the team has worked together as a unit with stunning precision. They’re passing the ball well, finding the open man and making their shots.

Tonight’s game ball, though, goes to Drew Peterson. When Houston made their run in the second half, it was Peterson that fended them off. He was 4-for-4 from three in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“I think we win that game more times than not,” Peterson said. Houston had the last word tonight, but the Owls were able to prove to the city, and themselves, they’re here to stay. “This loss shows us more about who we can be,” Robert Martin said. “I think we’re just starting to believe.”

Up Next

This was the last home game Rice basketball will play in the next four weeks. The Owls’ next set of contests start on Friday, Nov. 22 in the Island of the Bahamas Showcase. They’ll start things off with Milwaukee on Friday at 1:00 p.m., play either Liberty or Morgan State on Saturday. Sunday’s game is TBD.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls drop heavyweight fight vs No. 5 Texas A&M

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Rice Women’s Basketball took No. 5 Texas A&M down to the wire, falling a single point short in front of a packed crowd at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday.

There was no trepidation in the Owls’ eyes when No. 5 Texas A&M took the court at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday. Rice Women’s Basketball had missed the chance for revenge against these same Aggies last March, falling in overtime to Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted in College Station.

The Aggies scored first before Rice punched back behind a pair of baskets from Sydne Wiggins. An 8-5 lead wasn’t overly significant in the grand scheme of this 40-minute contest, but it calmed this team down and reminded them that they could play with this team, and play at this level.

More: Takeaways from Rice football’s win over MTSU

Led by Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M grabbed a 10 point lead and held the Owls at bay through the first half. Rice did most of their scoring from the free-throw line, unable to crack the rigid Aggie defense. Ferocious defense, led by Jasmine Smith kept Rice in the game. The sophomore guard came up big, drawing a charge in the final seconds before halftime prior to a Haylee Swayze three.

Trailing 36-27 at half, Rice began to pick up the pace. The defense was suffocating and the offense took advantage of their opportunities. Rice outscored their opponent 24-13 in the third quarter, clinging to a 53-49 lead at the start of the final frame.

What transpired next felt like a battle of heavyweights. It didn’t feel like C-USA vs SEC. It felt like two elite powers grappling for a resume-boosting win. Rice took a one-point lead on a layup by Erica Ogwumike in the final 24 seconds. A Texas A&M three-pointer hit iron and rattled out, but it would be the Aggies who secured the rebound and the game-winning putback.

Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey combined for 17 points. A few days removed from setting the school single-game record for blocks, Mulkey had just three swats against the Aggies. With their biggest stars held somewhat in check, the rest of the team stepped up.

Tina Langely wasn’t surprised. “Every player right now is learning that when your number is called you just have to be aggressive,” she said, crediting players the collective effort of the team who fought to the very end.

Player of the game

The loss of sharpshooter Nicole Iademarco from last year’s team left a hole in the Owls’ offensive scheme. Someone was going to have to step up and make those threes to open things up for the rest of the team’s versatile scoring options. When Rice Women’s Basketball took the court for the first time this season, freshman Lauren Schwartz was among the starting five.

Schwartz had 11 points in her first collegiate game against Nicholls St. That was a good start. But when the lights were brightest — like they were Sunday against the No. 5 team in the nation — Schwartz caught fire. She had 12 points in the third quarter alone, making two three-pointers, two more from the field and two foul shots.

“It’s not really all about me. It’s all about the team,” Schwartz said. “I couldn’t have got those open shots without the team passing the ball and making plays.” Those open shots led to a career-high 19 points and gave Rice a chance in the final moments. Three games into her collegiate career, Schwartz is shaping up to be an impactful addition to the Owls’ already potent lineup.

Up Next

The Owls will hit the road next week for a two-game stretch away from Tudor Fieldhouse. They play at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2:00 p.m. before a Wednesday battle at McNeese St on Nov. 27. That latter is scheduled to be a 12:00 p.m. tip.

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