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Malia Fisher returns, Rice Women’s Basketball tops Utah Tech

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Rice Women’s Basketball has won four in a row at home, defeating Utah Tech in the Owls first game back from Cancun.

Utah Tech hit their first shot of the night, a three-pointer to open the game. It was all Rice women’s basketball the rest of the way. The Owls took the lead for good with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter on a layup from Sussy Ngulefac and never looked back.

Rice led by eight after the first quarter and grew its advantage to 14 by halftime. Utah Tech pushed back in the third, cutting the deficit to eight, but two well-timed baskets from Malia Fisher got the Owls’ advantage back to double-digits.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

In the fourth quarter, Utah Tech rallied once more, getting within six. Who else, but Fisher arrived with a three to claw back some breathing room down the stretch? As has been the case with this team all season, a large never truly felt completely safe, but with Fisher back on the court, Rice was able to weather the comeback much more saliently, hanging on to win at home.

Final Box | Rice 82, Utah Tech 71

What They’re Saying

I’m really glad to be back at home and be back in front of our fans and get a win. Wins are hard to come by, and I’m grateful to get a win. I think our group has so much potential, and I think we can be really, really great. I think we showed that in spurts tonight, and we are going to continue to challenge them to show a full 40 minutes and see how special we can truly be. We’re still growing as a team and trying to figure that piece out. I thought there were a lot of really good performances, in particular by [Malia and Hailey] and also by Sussy. There are definitely some good highlights and some really good stats out there; I just would have liked to have seen us just finish out the game a little bit better. – Rice Women’s Basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | Malia’s back!

By far the most significant development of this game wasn’t the score, but rather the return of Malia Fisher to the court. Fisher had yet to appear in a game for the Owls so far this season after suffering a wrist injury in the offseason. The hope was always to have her back by conference play.

Fisher did not start, but saw 19 minutes of court time on Wednesday, leading all scorers with 17 points and collecting six rebounds. The cameo certainly points towards a closer-to-100-percent version of the Owls’ preseason all-conference player by the time AAC play arrives on December 29. That might just be the best Christmas gift this program could have asked for.

Up Next: at Louisiana (Sat, 12/7)

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Rice Women’s Basketball splits at Cancun Challenge

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Rice Women’s basketball split their two-game set at the Cancun Challenge, falling to BYU in the opener before blasting Vermont in the second game.

BYU 63, Rice 51

The Story

Rice got off to a strong start, opening up a 12-5 first quarter lead as BYU struggled to find its footing. The Cougars woke up and finished the half on a 26-10 run, opening up a gap the Owls would be unable to close. BYU would lead by as many as 17 points, comfortably holding on to the lead with the exception of a brief third quarter rally from Rice to get back within seven.

Rice 79, Vermont 57

The Story

Vermont jumped out to an early lead in this one but it was the Owls’ turn to turn up the intensity on offense. Rice rallied from a five-point first quarter deficit to take a six point lead at half. Then they opened the floodgates, exploding for a 16-0 run in the third quarter to bury the Catamounts. The Owls led by as many as 28 points, cruising to a big win to close out their trip to Cancun.

What We Learned

It was truly a tale of two games. In the opener against BYU, Rice women’s basketball endured their worst shooting performance of the season. They followed it up with their best shooting day from the floor. The contrast between these two games serves as a fitting reminder of the team’s volatility and the growth needed for the Owls to reach the level of a premier program.

At their best, Rice women’s basketball is capable of competing with many top teams. The key challenge now is finding consistency and building on those strong performances. While this may seem like nitpicking, it’s the standard that has been set by head coach Lindsay Edmonds, who continues to hold her program to high expectations.

“I’ve known all season that we were capable of hitting the three at a very high volume and just been waiting for it to happen,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said following the Vermont win. “For us to be able to come out here tonight after what happened last night and have the focus to put the ball in the hole, probably when we needed it the most.”

Last year’s AAC Tournament run was proof the version of the Owls that showed up against Vermont could show up four days in a row. The next step might be finding the version of this team that played against Houston and being that team every single day. Rice didn’t shoot the lights out in that game, but they played well. The defense was consistent and strong.

The defense has been solid. The shooting has ebbed and flowed. To some extent, that’s basketball, but the Owls would probably tell you they’ve left points on the court they should have knocked down.

If Rice can make that strong version of itself the floor. They’re going to be really hard to beat. They don’t need to be the team that smacked Vermont every day — although that’s always within the range of outcomes. They need to be the team that has less off days and consistently does the little things well. And then they get to add Malia Fisher back to the mix in the coming weeks.

That’s the recipe for success this season.

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Rice Women’s basketball comes up short at Gonzaga

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Rice Women’s Basketball traded blows with Gonzaga for four quarters before running out of steam late, falling on the road.

Emily Klaczek and Hailey Adams were determined that Rice women’s basketball would get off on the right foot in their first foray out from the confines of Tudor Fieldhouse. Klazcek got things started with seven first quarter points including a three-pointer to get the Owls back within one-score after a hot start from Gonzaga. Adams had seven in the frame too, becoming the driving force for the team in the early goings.

Adams would lead all scorers in the first half with 13 points, already a season-high. She added six boards along the way, all before the halftime buzzer. Her final basket of the half put Rice ahead of Gonzaga for the first time with 2:28 to go in the second quarter. Gonzaga would take a one-point lead into the half, but thanks to that tandem of Klaczek and Adams, the game was on.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

The lead would exchange hands seven times in the third quarter. Neither side led by more than two possessions and the game was tied twice but it was the visiting Owls in front when the fourth quarter commenced.

Back and forth they went with the lead changing 12 times before the final buzzer sounded and it the outcome of the game hung in the balance until the final minutes. The teams were tied at 64 points apiece with 2:24 to play in the fourth quarter. That’s when Rice missed a few key shots and Gonzaga rolled to a crushing 10-0 run.

The final margin would be just three, representative of a game that truly went down to the wire. Unfortunately for the Owls, they came down on the wrong side.

Final Box | Gonzaga 72, Rice 69

Key takeaway | Missed opportunity

Gonzaga was picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference in the preseason polls. When it comes to building a non-conference resume for a potential NCAA bid, these are the kinds of games you need to win. The Owls came up short.

Malia Fisher still has yet to play this season. Gonzaga had just recently had a streak of 36 consecutive home victories ended last week by Cal. This won’t be an ugly when it comes time for resume comparisons in March, but it’s a missed opportunity all the same.

Over the course of their non-conference slate thus far this team has proven they can hang with anyone. That’s undeniable. But there are only so many opportunities left before AAC play arrives. That sets up an important week ahead in Cancun.

Up Next: vs BYU (Thr. 11/28), vs Vermont (Fri. 11/29)

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Rice Women’s Basketball hangs on to beat Sam Houston

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Rice Women’s Basketball started fast and hung on to edge Sam Houston in a defensive struggle at home.

Rice Women’s basketball engineered their most dominant start of the season to date on Sunday afternoon against Sam Houston. After falling behind 4-0, the Owls went on a staggering 20-2 run, eventually heading into the second quarter with a 23-8 lead.

As has been the case for much of this season, though, a strong early lead doesn’t necessitate a comfortable victory. No sooner had the Owls built their 15-point advantage than did Sam Houston dismantle it. The Bearkats opened the second quarter on a 13-2 run, pulling back within four points at the media timeout. Instead of a potential blowout it was a new ballgame.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

The momentum ping ponged back in the Owls favor in the third quarter. Two threes from Emily Klaczek put the home team in front by 11 at the time and 10 points entering the fourth. Once more, Sam Houston answered, opening the quarter on a 7-0 run.

Rice didn’t make field goal in the final five minutes of regulation, riding their defense to a white-knuckled victory. Sam Houston got back within three points on two separate occasions in the fourth quarter but never got back to even. With the win, Rice women’s basketball improves to 4-1 on the season.

Final Box | Rice 65, Sam Houston 60

What They’re Saying

Winning’s hard. We’ve won four straight, so I’m pleased and proud of our team to be able to finish off tonight’s game. The coach in me obviously wants better. We have high expectations for this team, and we want to be playing the best basketball that we can right now. I don’t expect us to be where we are going to be in March, but I expect the best version of ourselves that we can be on Nov. 17. There are definitely some things we can clean up, and that’s what we will definitely do. [I’m] ready to get back to work with this team and get back to playing our brand of basketball just a little bit more. – Rice Women’s Basketball Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | Just enough clutch

To this point, the Rice Women’s Basketball season has been a seemingly never-ending seesaw teetering back and forth between scoring runs and defensive deserts. By the time the final minutes of regulation arrived on Sunday it was hard to remember this was a game Rice led by 15 points early on.

Runs happen within every game and this season’s collection of back-and-forth’s isn’t particularly novel. There’s hope the Malia Fisher’s eventual reinsertion into this lineup will help smooth over the bumpy portions of these games when the Owls’ early leads suddenly dissipate. But until that happens or the current roster can improve in their consistency, having an Emily Klaczek sure helps.

On any given day it might not be Klaczek, but it was her shot that made the difference on this day, a three pointer that turned a three-point game into a six-point game and preventing Sam Houston from tying the score with 5:31 to go in the fourth. Keeping that lead intact was important, especially when it shrinks from double-digits to one score.

Up Next: at Gonzaga (Thr, 11/21)

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Rice Women’s Basketball coasts past Houston

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Rice Women’s Basketball built an early lead and stayed locked in for four quarters, coasting past rival Houston at home.

After a minor setback in their season opener, Rice women’s basketball is gaining momentum and living up to their preseason billing as an AAC favorite. On Thursday night, it took the Owls just over a quarter to establish a double-digit lead over rival Houston, showcasing a strong defensive effort that effectively stifled the Cougars’ offense.

Rice held Houston to 34.8 percent shooting in the first half, building a lead that grew to as many as 15 points. Freshman Aniah Alexis was the catalyst early on, scoring eight of her nine points before halftime and giving the Owls some offensive consistency along the way.

“The stage is not too big. The lights aren’t too bright,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said of Alexis. “She’s confident in herself. She’s done the work.”

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

Alexis and the Owls charged into the second half, countering every challenge the Cougars threw their way. Houston managed to close the gap to just six points briefly, but Rice answered with a decisive 6-0 run, pushing their lead back to double digits and effectively silencing any hopes of a Cougar comeback. From there Dominique Ennis and Sussy Ngulefac took over, scoring 15 of the Owls’ 24 second-half points.

After a layup at the 6:11 mark, Houston went cold, failing to score another field goal for the next six minutes, save a meaningless three at the buzzer in an already decided game. Once more, it was the Rice women’s basketball defense that sealed the game as the Owls improved their season record to 3-1.

Final Box | Rice 60, Houston 48

What They’re Saying

That was a good win. A good win for this team, a good win for this university and a good win for this city. It’s an incredible game for us to be playing, we should be playing it every single year as we have done the last couple of years. It’s good for women’s basketball. It was good for us tonight. We built upon what we did last game. [In] the last game we won all but one media and did exactly the same thing again tonight. I thought we came out with the aggressiveness and intensity and really set the tone for what the game was going to look like. Everything wasn’t perfect, but we had energy, we had toughness and we had togetherness, and I’m really proud of our team. – Head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | A new season

Last season, Rice and Houston battled to overtime, with the Cougars edging out a home victory. But after Thursday’s game, it’s hard to believe how much has changed for both programs. Since then, Houston has struggled, finishing second-to-last in the Big 12, while Rice has soared—winning the AAC Tournament and securing an NCAA Tournament berth.

Throughout the offseason, head coach Lindsay Edmonds emphasized the heightened expectations for the Owls this year. While a single game doesn’t predict the season’s outcome, the 2024-2025 Rice squad did more than just edge past a struggling team—they comfortably cruised past their rivals.

ESPN’s in-game win probability never dipped below 78 percent after the end of the first quarter and was above 95 percent for the entire fourth frame. It certainly looks like Edmonds is coaching with that level of urgency. Up by 13 points at the half, her focus never waivered. “I think we can turn it up even more,” she declared.

For a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations, this is exactly the attitude they need. After shaking off early-season rust, Rice is starting to look like the force they were projected to be.

Up Next: vs Sam Houston (Sun, 11/17)

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