The source for Rice sports news

Clutch Fourth Quarter powers Rice Women’s Basketball past Tulane

By

Rice Women’s Basketball delivered a much-needed fourth quarter rally, dominating Tulane late for their first AAC win of the season.

Dominique Ennis hit the first shot of the game to give Rice an early 2-0 lead, but the Owls’ advantage wouldn’t last long on the road against the Tulane Green Wave. Their hosts delivered an 11-0 run to seize an advantage in the first quarter.

A defensive slugfest in the second quarter would keep the game around a one-point margin for a while until a 7-0 run from the Wave put Rice in trouble at the half, down eight after scoring just five points in that frame.

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

The game would largely hover around that level for the next quarter of action. Both sides traded baskets as the scoring picked up, but Tulane was able to maintain at least a two possession lead until Rice began to make their move in earnest at the beginning of the fourth period.

Ennis went three-for-three from deep in the fourth, supplemented by an 8-point, 4-rebound, 4-assist quarter from Malia Fisher, who delivered one of her most impactful performances of the season to date. That tandem, with timely contributions from Hailey Adams, Sussy Ngulefac and Victoria Flores, all of which played the entire quarter, propelled Rice to a come-from-behind victory.

The 33 points Rice scored in the fourth quarter made for the third-most points in a quarter in program history. Rice finished the game making 10 of their last 12 shots from the field. That’s quite an impressive way to ring in the New Year.

Final Box | Rice 72, Tulane 64

What They’re Saying

“Road wins are so tough in the conference. I’m really, really proud of our team’s effort and toughness. We dug a hole, but we rallied together and found a way to get a win on the road in conference play. I thought just our resiliency was incredible. Our fourth quarter performance was really, really tough and really special, and exactly what we needed.” – Rice Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | Resilient Rally

The fourth quarter has been the boogeyman for Rice Women’s basketball all season long, a refrain explored in detail just days prior in a loss to South Florida. For Rice to win this game against Tulane on the road in this manner was crucial. Not just to get the win and avoid an 0-2 start in league play, but to prove to themselves and those watching that clutch gene is in their somewhere.

Rice shot 71 percent from the field in the fourth quarter. Tulane shot 27 percent, but was only marginally better on the afternoon, shooting at a 33 percent clip from the floor. The Owls’ defense more or less held serve while the offense found that extra gear that had eluded them so many times this season.

This team isn’t going to shoot 71 percent in any quarter very often, but avoiding the deficit in the first place is something they’ve largely proven themselves capable of and there’s something to be said of the impact on the team’s psyche gained from finally getting over this hill. It’s just one win on the ledger, but it felt like much more.

Up Next: vs UTSA (Wed, 1/8)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball drops opener to South Dakota State

By

Rice Women’s Basketball built an early lead but couldn’t close things out, falling to South Dakota State in their home opener.

The depth of the 2024-2025 Rice women’s basketball roster has been a talking point for months. Even without graduated point guard Destiny Jackson, who was in attendance Monday to participate in the pre-game ring ceremony and AAC Championship banner unveiling, and Malia Fisher, who was held out for health reasons, the Owls seemed unflappable in the early goings.

Dominique Ennis paced the team in scoring, delivering a pair of early three-pointers as Rice fought for an early lead. The first test would come when Sussy Ngulefac picked up an early foul, leaving the game a few minutes later and kicking off that ballyhooed deep rotation.

With Ngulefac on the bench, Victoria Flores and Aniah Alexis made their Rice debuts. Shelby Hayes came through with six first half boards, leading all players. When Ngulefac returned the Owls’ lead had grown to seven.

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

Ngulefac made her presence felt in earnest at the start of the third quarter, scoring five of the Owls’ first seven points to give Rice its first double-digit lead. A dominant edge on the boards at that point put the home team in position for a resume-boosting win, but when the fourth quarter arrived, so too did a boisterous South Dakota State comeback.

After being held to no more than 15 points in each of the first three frames the Jackrabbits exploded for 26 points in the fourth, erasing a 13-point Rice advantage. South Dakota State took its first lead since the opening quarter with less than two to go in regulation. A hurried last-second shot was off the mark as the Owls saw their first game slip away.

“We didn’t hit shots early on in the fourth quarter and it snowballed into our defensive intensity,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said. “When we’re hitting shots, we defend really, really, really well. And when we’re not hitting shots, we’re thinking about the shots that we didn’t hit.”

Those shots they didn’t hit cost the Owls a big non-conference win. Shorthanded or not, this a problem Rice women’s basketball has to figure out if they’re going to have the sort of season they’re expecting on South Main.

Final Box | South Dakota State 65 – Rice 63

What They’re Saying

Key takeaway | One-two punch

As successful as last season was for Rice Women’s Basketball, it was far from a smooth ride. The Owls had to make their run through the AAC Tournament as a double-digit seed, partly because they were seemingly hardly ever at full strength. Ngulefac missed the early portions of the season with injuries, coming into her own down the stretch when the team needed her most.

Ngulefac’s emergence was essential because it coincided with Hayes’ injury, which ended her season prematurely. Ngulefac played 19 of the Owls’ 34 games. Hayes played 18. Getting both on the court in the same game was a rarity. Those in attendance at Tudor Fieldhouse on Monday night saw how impactful that tandem can be when operating at their respective peaks.

“I feel like Sussy and Shelby showed up in a big way tonight and won that battle,” Edmonds said. “One came in and did their job and the next one came in and did their job. They did a really good job together being a one-two punch. That was good to see.”

Hayes and Ngulefac each reached double figures, combining for 23 points and 12 rebounds.



Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

2024-2025 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

By

Expectations are high for the 2024-2025 Rice women’s basketball season following an NCAA Tournament appearance under now fourth-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds.

Rice women’s basketball has hit its stride under Lindsay Edmonds, raising the bar in each successive season with her at the helm of the program, culminating in an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. That taste has everyone on the roster — which returns the vast majority of its key players, sans one — eager for an encore this coming season.

“This is the most veteran, the most mature team that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Edmonds said. With that experience comes a different level of urgency and an even greater sense of purpose. “We’re going faster and the expectations are just higher,” Edmonds declared.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?


Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball: The most unselfish team in (the) America(n)

By

Rice women’s basketball isn’t led by one singular star, instead leaning on a deep roster that shares the ball and just keeps winning games.

Rice women’s basketball is not your conventional team, at least not in today’s era of the sport where one superstar can take you a long way. The Owls sit within striking distance of the top spot in the AAC standings but you won’t find any individuals near the pinnacle of their respective leaderboards.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

For those checking in for the first time, or those returning, a quick programming note. Special features like this are reserved for our subscribers. Have questions? You can get those answered in our monthly Q&As and get access to all practice notes, recruiting updates and features like this one when you subscribe on Patreon today.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?


Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Injuries and foul trouble sink Rice Women’s Basketball vs Memphis

By

It was a rough afternoon for Rice women’s basketball, which battled through injuries and foul trouble in a loss to Memphis at home.

Points were at a premium on Saturday afternoon. Fouls were plentiful. The result was a grimy game for a shorthanded Rice women’s basketball team, playing without Malia Fisher, against a Memphis team that entered the game with one road win on the season so far. Further complicating matters, Shelby Hayes wasn’t available either.

Rice was able to nurse a small lead through most of the first quarter before Memphis jumped in front to start the second period. The visitors slowly added to their advantage, reaching a 15-point lead after three quarters thanks to a flurry of foul calls against Rice, with a technical foul against head coach Lindsay Edmonds providing the frustrating exclamation point.

After three quarters, Rice had been charged with 20 fouls. Memphis had been called for just nine. The final foul margin was 29 to 19. Dominque Ennis missed about half of the fourth quarter after a collision, adding to a slue of misfortune for the Owls.

There were some good moments — including a career-best 15 points from Hailey Adams — but ultimately a mediocre shooting performance, injuries and foul trouble proved too much to overcome. Had the Owls gotten one or two more fortunate bounces, they might have been able to steal this one, instead, Rice fell at home to Memphis on a frustrating afternoon of basketball.

Final Box | Memphis 73 – Rice 66

Key takeaway | Gone Fish(er)ing?

For the second time in as many games, Rice women’s basketball was without the services of Malia Fisher. An integral piece on both sides of the court, it was evident in both games the Owls’ rhythm was off. Not having her presence on the interior impacts how this team wants to play basketball. They got some big contributions from Hailey Adams and others but were unable to reliably make the most out of every possession.

The effort is certainly there, but the efficiency hasn’t been the same. Rice shot just 37.7 percent from the floor on Saturday, converting just 3-of-13 from three. It’ll be interesting to see if this team can reorient themselves while Fisher is sidelined. For the time being, it’s been anything but smooth sailing.

Up Next: vs SMU (Wednesday, Jan. 31)



Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts