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Rice Women’s Basketball drops opener at South Dakota State

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Rice Women’s basketball didn’t get the level of offensive production they were expecting, falling to South Dakota State in their opening game.

A year ago, South Dakota State needed a furious fourth-quarter rally to spoil the Rice women’s basketball season opener at Tudor Fieldhouse, handing the Owls a loss in a game the home team had led for the vast majority of its duration. The opposite of that contest seemed to unfold in the early going in Brookings, South Dakota, on Friday night.

Rice scored the first points, but quickly fell behind. The Owls rallied to tie the game back up at the end of the first quarter thanks to five quick points from transfer Louann Battiston. The Jackrabbits kept their foot on the gas, though, growing their advantage to nine points in the second frame before another late push from the Owls resulted in a 38-34 halftime deficit for Rice.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

A three from Victoria Flores gave Rice a brief edge in the third, but a 9-2 South Dakota State rally put the Owls behind by seven, a deficit that would linger for the remainder of the quarter and stretch into the start of the fourth quarter. That’s when the offense would stall out for good.

Rice went nearly six minutes of court time without a made field goal in the final stretch as the South Dakota State lead grew to 11 and eventually 14. Unlike the last time these two teams met, there was no furious rally from the visiting team to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. Rice fell to South Dakota State for the second consecutive season.

Final Box | SDSU 79, Rice 65

Key takeaway | Offense Comes Out Flat

During her comments before the season, Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds was adamant her team would play fast and shoot threes, an intentional shift from season’s prior. The Owls’ attempted 35 three pointers (and made 15 of them) in their exhibition, one shy of their season-high a year ago, seeming to convey their eagerness to fulfill Edmonds’ vision.

South Dakota State is a much more challenging opponent than Mary Hardin-Baylor, so there needs to be an adjustment made for the quality of opponent Rice faced, but even still, this wasn’t nearly as high-flying of an offensive performance as the explosive exhibition suggested would be more normative.

Rice women’s basketball averaged 20.1 three point attempts per game last season. The team attempted 16 three-pointers through three quarters and 23 in the game on Friday. Even for accounting for a late outburst while trailing, the deep ball wasn’t as frequent or effective as it needed to be for Rice to win this game. After seeing what it can be at its best in the exhibition, this offensive showing was underwhelming. Hopefully better days are ahead.

Up Next: at Houston (Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm)

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Rice University Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

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On Thursday, Rice University formally announced The Gateway Project, a bold renovation strategy for Rice Stadium and the west side of campus.

Rumors of a reenvisioned Rice Stadium have been echoed throughout South Main for years. Renderings shared in murmurs of what could be. On Thursday afternoon in the West parking lot, behind a practice bubble that will soon be folding in for good, those aspirations crystallized and shovels broke ground. A new page had been turned for Rice University and a bold new vision began to take shape.

Several people stood at a podium erected just in front of Greenbriar Drive and made their remarks, but it was the Chairman of the Rice Board of Directors Robert Ladd who really drove the reality home.

“The Gateway Project is a generational investment in the growth and vitality of our university,” he said. “It marks a bold step forward in aligning the university’s infrastructure, student life, athletics and community engagement strategies, positioning us to meet the demands of both our and Houston’s future.”

The Gateway Project is the overarching strategy Rice announced to create a “new gateway to campus” by extending Amherst Avenue in Rice Village two blocks east until it meets campus and joins a vibrant, walkable corridor leading to a full renovated, modernized Rice Stadium.

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The $120 million initiative will also include a new practice pavilion, replacing the current practice bubble and clearing space for a mixed-use development featuring “retail, multi-family housing, restaurants and a grocery store, with a public greenspace for community events and performances.”

Rice Athletics Director Tommy McClelland was emphatic when it came to exclaiming the significance of this project and it’s future impact on Rice:

“This project represents a tangible and public declaration of our university’s commitment to the future of athletics,” he said. “And that declaration is this: Rice is serious and intentional about athletics. We are investing in a future in which our programs can and will compete at the highest levels athletically and academically. We are creating a home that will be a source of pride for Rice and for the city of Houston.”

The advancement seeks to thread the needle between preserving the historicity of one of the city’s most famous landmarks, Rice Stadium, while simultaneously making it appealing and functional for the days ahead.

In McClelland’s worse, this endeavor seeks to build a stadium “that honors the past but looks boldly to the future.”

“This is not just a renovation,” he declared. “This is a statement of who we are and where we are going. In the spirit of John F. Kennedy, today at Rice University, we choose to move forward. We choose to invest. We chose to compete and, most importantly, we choose to win. This is the next great chapter of Rice University.”

The specifics

Listed key stadium improvements include:

  • On the east side, about two-thirds of the upper deck will be removed to improve sightlines and create a more intimate atmosphere.
  • A 360-degree concourse will allow fans to move freely around the stadium.
  • Two 4,000-square-foot restroom and concession buildings will be added at the stadium’s southwest and northwest corners.
  • A new kitchen and commissary will allow staff to prepare high-quality food on site, enhancing the fan experience.
  • The southwest entry plaza will reinforce the “stadium in a park” concept and connect to a landscaped walkway leading to Rice Village.

Stadium capacity will be reduced to roughly 30,000 in a decision described as a “right-sized design” which McClelland viewed as an opportunity to have “best fan experience in the country.”

More: Listen to Latest Rice Athletics News and Analysis on The Roost Podcast

“Because of the size, we can say bold things,” McClelland said, painting the stadium and surrounding area is a gathering place for the community. He mentioned the desire to use the space to host concerts and that the stadium itself would be expanded so that a FIFA regulated soccer pitch would be viable on the grounds, hopefully providing the University with the opportunity to host international soccer matches.

Construction is expected to begin following the 2026 Rice Football season and continue throughout 2027 before being completed prior to the opening of the 2028 season. The team would play at the stadium in 2027 in the midst of the construction, similar to projects that have taken place at Vanderbilt and West Point, in recent years.

Multiple Rice officials also confirmed to The Roost that conversations were had in advance specifically to assure the new athletics renovations would not interfere with the annual Beer Bike tradition, currently held in the Greenbriar lot and that the athletic department would not force the event to relocate.

More From McClelland

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the key objectives of this project: a right-sized stadium, more premium seating and a connection to Rice Village

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T20:59:33.873Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland details the timeline of construction, expected to be completed by the start of the 2028 season. Construction will commence after the 2026 season and the Owls will play in the stadium during the renovations in 2027.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:04:21.802Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the aspirations for this project to create a "gathering in place" on campus:"We're trying to create the place that people want to be on Saturdays."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:08:21.260Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland says the goal is to make a multi-use facility capable of hosting concerts and even potential international soccer events. Current sidelines are being widened to make the stadium FIFA compliant.

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:10:30.643Z

Rice AD Tommy McClleland on the urgency of this project in light of the current college sports landscape:"We have to improve our athletic reputation and today marks the beginning of that."

— The Roost (@attheroost.com) 2025-11-06T21:17:31.090Z

Additional details are available via the university’s release as well as a dedicated website for the project.

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Rice Football 2025: UAB Game Week Practice Notes

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Rice Football is assessing all their options this week from personnel to prep as they do all they can on the practice field to prepare for UAB.

Three games remain on the Rice football scheduled and head coach Scott Abell is doing all he can to find a way to earn a fourth chance to play this fall. To reach a bowl game, the Owls are going to have to reach a higher level of consistency or big-play ability than they have so far this season. Both were focal points during practice this week.

Leaning into Variance

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The Roost Podcast | No Treats in Rice Football Halloween loss to Memphis

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Rice Football never came close to scary Memphis on Halloween night. We talk through the loss in this week’s episode of the Roost Podcast.

Any thoughts of an upset were quickly laid to rest on Friday night when Rice football fell behind 21-0 in the early goings against a ranked Memphis squad. There were plenty of things that didn’t go according to plan, making a win a long shot at best before halftime arrived. You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 218.

Episode Notes

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Rice Football vs Memphis Game Recap

  • Talent gap in the trenches poses an early problem
  • Offensive inconsistency explains a lot of the crooked score
  • Defense not fully to blame for the points amassed
  • Penalties and sloppy play marred any chance on an upset
  • A potential bowl chance remains in play?

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The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s College Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner. If it’s happening in college football in Texas, we’re talking about it. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rice Basketball Routs College of Biblical Studies in Opener

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Rice basketball never trailed in its season opener against the College of Biblical Studies, dispatching the non-NCAA program with ease on the Owls’ home court.

Year 2 of the Rob Lanier era got off to an encouraging start with a no-doubt rout of the College of Biblical Studies. Jalen Smith scored the first points of the 2025-2026 Rice Basketball season with a three-pointer on the Owls’ first possession, repeating the favor on the ensuing possession. Rice before Andrew Akuchie scored on back-to-back possessions, too. Trae Broadnax followed with a layup to give Rice a prompt double-digit advantage.

The shot making continued to progress at a high level throughout the course of the game as the team rotated in the vast majority of its heathy roster. When combined with a an energetic defense, Rice was able to produce a staggering 29-0 run which turned a 28-14 game into a blowout in the span of less than seven minutes of game time.

More: Rice Football: Game Preview vs UAB

“We have to worry about ourselves,” Rice basketball center Stephen Giwa said. “Doesn’t matter who we’re playing against, that’s what’s going to carry us over. Getting stops, that’s going to lead to easy baskets. So we just gotta focus on that first as a team.”

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Rice had scored a record 65 points in the half and was well on its way to shattering other program bests. Rice would go on to win by a final score of 109-38, the 33rd 100-point game in program history. The 71-point differential represents their second-largest margin of victory in program history, falling just short of the all-time record, a 73-point win in a 97-22 victory over Baylor in 1945.

Final Box | Rice 109, College of Biblical Studies 25

What They’re Saying

Key takeaway | Defense. Defense. Defense.

When he met with the media before the season, Lanier made his expectations and ambitions for this team crystal clear. “It starts with being a great defensive team,” he said. “Without that, any goals that we might set out to achieve, we’re going to fall short.”

Lanier had hinted that the team had taken steps in that direction a season ago, but still had work to do. They didn’t completely close the gap between those desires and their current state on Tuesday night in Tudor, but they did put forth a strong first step.

When asked for what led to the early separation in the game, Lanier credited that defense.

“It was the defense. I thought the bigs, Stephen and Jimmy, they rebounded the ball really well and we got out and ran,” Lanier said. “To be the team we want to be, we’re going to have to defend at a high level and we’re going to have to run and play with some space and we still haven’t quite gotten that yet.”

The College of Biblical Studies scored just 38 points and was held 27 percent shooting from the field. The Owls’ press was harrowing and confusing for the Ambassadors who never came close to finding any sort of offensive rhythm.

Up Next: at Oregon (Nov. 7 at 9:00 pm)

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