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Rice Women’s Basketball drops opener to South Dakota State

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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.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 191 – Rice Football sinks Navy

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Led by an interim head coach, Rice football waded through a five-hour delay before taking Navy to deep water and emerging victorious.

The odds might have been stacked against them, but the players in that Rice football locker room didn’t seem phased when they met Navy as double-digit underdogs on a water-logged field late Saturday night. The Owls put together a complete showing from all three phases and rolled to a rather comfortable win against a Navy squad previously unbeaten in conference action. How did they manage such a feat and can they do it again?

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 191.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

You can also grab the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt if you haven’t picked one up yet!

Homefield

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Recapping Rice Football vs Navy

  • Five hour rain delay makes history
  • Defense delivers a dominant performance
  • Offense was effective and not flukey
  • Special teams contributed in big moments
  • So much of this felt repeatedable
  • What’s the outlook for the remainder of the season?

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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Rice Football overcomes 5-hour delay to knock off Navy

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Rice football persevered through a five-hour delay and a water-logged field to knock off Navy in the Owls’ first game under interim head coach Pete Alamar.

The rain eventually let up, but Rice football never did. Despite the adversity of an in-season firing and a game against a Navy team previously unbeaten in conference play, the Owls took the Midshipmen to deep water and drowned them in the Houston storms. The win was the first for Rice over Navy since 2002 and the first-ever career win for interim head coach Pete Alamar. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Hours, not minutes

When he met with the media on Tuesday for the very first time as interim head coach, Pete Alamar made a vow to all assembled. “A Pete Alamar led football team is going to fight their butt off for 60 minutes or however long it takes,” he said. Little did anyone know much more than 60 minutes would be required for the Owls’ interim head coach to make good on that declaration.

Rice football was scheduled to host Navy, undefeated in conference play, at 3:00 PM CST on Saturday afternoon. That start time came and went as roving thunderstorms took turns abusing South Main. The ball was finally kicked at 5:30 pm but the Owls were only permitted one drive, which ended in a punt, before the weather forced both teams to their locker rooms for another hour.

When play resumed — three and a half hours after the original kick time — Tyson Flowers intercepted Navy quarterback Blake Horvath’s first attempt. Rice ran three plays and got the ball inside the five-yard line before lightning again forced an extended delay.

In total, the delays would last five hours and six minutes, approximately 20 minutes shy of the longest recorded weather delay in college football history. The stadium clock read 8:39 pm when the ball was snapped and Dean Connors sprinted off tackle for the opening touchdown. Rice took the lead on that play and never let up.

Hours upon hours of frustration and angst following the dismissal of head coach Mike Bloomgen earlier in the week boiled over in an outburst that would not be quelled. Led by an interim head coach, the Owls posted their most impressive win of the season.

Offensive explosion

That outburst would not have been possible without precision execution from the Owls’ offense once the game truly began in earnest. Rice built on Connors’ touchdown run with a hook-and-ladder conversion on third and long to set up a pin-point touchdown toss from EJ Warner to Matt Sykes between double-coverage.

Tim Horn tacked on a 47-yard field goal on the Owls’ following possession. Just like that, the double-digit home underdogs had a three-score lead over one of the league’s three remaining unbeaten teams.

The offense was held in check for the next four drives. Navy was more disciplined on defense during that time, but they were also aided by an incredulous interception by Warner, who threw into double coverage in the endzone on a first down play in which his receiver was beaten off the line and never had a chance to play on the ball.

After trading punts to start the second half, the offense returned to form, grinding out an 11-play, 80-yard drive punctuated by another touchdown run from Connors to put Rice in front 24-7. Buoyed by an impressive defensive showing, that proved to be more than enough to get the job done.

Defensive dominance

Navy came into the contest averaging 46.5 points per game in conference play, the best mark in the AAC. The Midshipmen run a triple-option scheme similar, albeit not quite the same, as the offense Army runs. The Black Knights dropped 37 points on the Owls a few weeks ago and didn’t seem to break a sweat. Holding Navy to a respectable output would have been a reasonable measure of success, but the Rice football had loftier goals in mind.

Rice held Navy to 112 yards of total offense in the first half, allowing exactly one drive in the Midshipmen’s first seven to extend beyond 15 yards. Owls were flying to the ball and making tackles, keeping deep shots out of the hands of receivers and, in at least two cases, taking the ball away themselves.

The defense stonewalled Navy on fourth and short in the redzone midway through the third quarter. They held the Middies to a field goal on an 18-play, 8-minute drive in the fourth quarter, utilizing sure-tackling and the clock to stifle the triple-option attack. Two fumbles, both of which Navy recovered, slowed that march, draining the clock and further.

Nothing was easy for the Navy offense on Saturday. The option attack, which had fooled so many teams, was rendered almost entirely ineffective against the Owls who were as assignment-sound of defense as they’ve been in any game this season. Navy had one run of 20+ yards, who made the right defense read time and time again.

A Navy offense that led the conference at 7.8 yards per play against conference foes was kneecapped on Saturday night and limited to just 4.3 per play. Horvath, who had been sacked three times in seven games, was sacked twice by Rice alone. The defense never flinched.

Just enough special teams

Not to be outdone, special teams did their part as well. Tyson Thompson routinely set the offense up with superb field position, averaging 17 yards per return on punts including a long of 30 yards. He put one on the deck but was able to recover. After taking over the job from Sean Fresch midseason, Thompson has found his niche and made several important contributions to this game.

Horn’s 47-yard field goal was the longest by an Owl this season and while Alex Bacchetta’s 50-yard boot wasn’t a season-long for the Owls’ punt team it rolled to a stop on the one-foot line, marking another superb field position win in a game in which every yard came at a premium.

It wasn’t a perfect day on the special teams front. Horn missed a 45-yard kick that would have made it a three-score game with 4:25 on the clock, but by that time the writing was on the wall. Everyone had done just enough and Rice football was going to win.

Predictably unpredictable

In many ways, Saturday’s stunner will become a fitting footnote on the 2024 Rice football season, which has not gone according to plan in any respect since the year began with a home upset to Sam Houston. The Owls weren’t expected to go 2-6, nor was snapping a decade-long losing streak to UTSA in the cards. Beating Navy with an interim head coach on the helm as double-digit underdogs? That wasn’t in the realm of possibility either.

But in the same way that none of this year has made sense, the unexpected continues to find Rice football.

Against Navy, that pendulum swung back in favor of the blue and gray as hard as it possibly could. Rice got a marquee win and the players in a locker room that has absorbed so much sadness in recent weeks had the chance to celebrate and exhale. Finally, after everyone had counted them out and the season had been written off as a failure, relief had come in the form a Homecoming win that so many on this team will remember for a lifetime.

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Never say never

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The Roost Podcast | BREAKING NEWS: Rice Football fires Mike Bloomgren

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Following a loss to UConn, Rice football has fired head coach Mike Bloomgren. We share our thoughts on the timing and what’s next for the program.

Mike Bloomgren has been relieved of his duties as the head coach of Rice Football. He leaves the Owls midway through his seventh season after compiling a 24-52 record. Given the direction this season had taken, this result isn’t surprising. What does the timing of the decision mean and where do the Owls go from here?

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 190.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

You can also grab the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt if you haven’t picked one up yet!

Homefield

Patreon

Get exclusive insight on Patreon. Be the first to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with Rice football and stick around for even further analysis. That includes practice updates, analysis and more. Your support matters and makes The Roost better.

Become a Patron!

Recapping Rice Football fires Mike Bloomgren

  • First reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel, The Roost was able to independently confirm the news of Bloomgren’s dismissal on Sunday
  • Logistics: Pete Alamar takes over as interim head coach
  • Why now? What about the timing of the decision made sense and what questions remain unanswered?
  • What’s next for Rice?

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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Offense flounders as Rice Football succumbs to UConn

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Rice Football delivered a dazzling defensive effort but never got the offense in gear, losing to UConn on the road and falling to 2-6 on the season.

“Obviously disappointed with the way we performed today on the offensive side of the ball,” head coach Mike Bloomgren, said, beginning his post game press conference at the heart of the Owls’ issues on Saturday. “I thought there were a lot of opportunities the defense gave us.”

Those offensive shortcomings were impossible to overlook and set the tone for what was an underwhelming afternoon on the East Coast. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Devillier debut comes up short

It wouldn’t be a Rice football season without a start from a backup quarterback. Seven years into his tenure, head coach Mike Bloomgren has not yet been fortunate enough to see the same passer take the opening snap in every regular season game. Facing a similar quandary this week, Bloomgren gave starter EJ Warner a shot to play against UConn on Saturday but when Warner was unable to go, it cleared the way (officially) for freshman Drew Devillier to make his first collegiate start.

Devillier had taken the vast majority of the reps with the first team offense during the week and his insertion into the starting lineup didn’t come as a surprise. But no amount of practice reps can simulate the real thing and mop-up duty against Texas Southern and Houston doesn’t produce the same stakes as a zero-zero tilt at the opening kickoff.

Add a strong wind, gusting up to 26 miles per hour, and a defense that ranks top five in the nation in third down stops to those first-start jitters and you get a tough day at the office for Devillier and the Rice offense.

“I think that’s what it comes down to. First start on the road against a very, very complex defense. That’s not an ideal situation,” Bloomgren said. “Those are tough things.”

Bloomgren was quick to acknowledge how difficult the UConn defense made it for Devillier, crediting their post-snap movement with confusion early in downs and acknowledging they were part of the reason for the young quarterbacks’ struggles.

“The ball disruption was real tonight,” Bloomgren said. They did a great job getting their hands up and not allowing some of those short completions that could have turned into big things to happen.”

UConn knocked down at least four passes at the line of scrimmage and sacked Devillier twice, including on the Owls’ penultimate snap of the game, thwarted any final hopes of a comeback.

Things would have looked even worse had it not been for a 100-yard kick return touchdown from Quinton Jackson, the longest in program history. His effort gave the Owls offense one more chance late in the fourth, but it would prove to be too little, too late.

“We know what kind of player QJack is,” his roommate, Tyson Flowers exclaimed after the game. “He’s explosive. It’s about dang time he got in the endzone. It was really cool, and for him to do it in a game at a time like this, as clutch of a score as that was, that was really, really exciting.”

Turnover fortune bounces back

Winning the turnover battle was a key talking point during practice this week, understandably so after Rice gave the ball away five times in their loss against Tulane. Even still, it was hard to be overly confident the Owls would be able to produce immediate results on this front given their struggles to produce takeaways of any kind during Bloomgren’s tenure.

Sure enough, Rice, not UConn, put the ball on the ground first. A botched exchange between the center and Devillier on a third and short produced a mass of blue and white jerseys fighting for the ball. The Owls were fortunate to come out of the pile with the pigskin, preserving an even turnover margin for at least a while longer until fortune finally found the turnover-starved Rice defense.

Daveon Hook came streaking out of the secondary on a safety blitz and hit UConn quarterback Nick Evers. As the signal caller was headed to the ground, reinforcements arrived allowing Hook to punch out the ball. Rice recovered. A few plays later Tim Horn kicked a field goal, putting Rice ahead and turning that takeaway into points.

Two drives later, Gabe Taylor stepped in front of a quick pass from Evers and picked it off, the second takeaway in the span of a few minutes of real time.

The jury is still out on whether or not any of this is sustainable. Another fumbled snap and a muffed punt from return man Tyson Thompson, who was able to fall on it, all went the Owls’ way. There’s another version of this game in which Rice loses the turnover battle despite those important takeaways they forced early on.

Penalty problems persist 

Whether it was the cold or the angst of two teams that really needed this game, the level of tension and angst was palpable in this contest from start to finish. Neither team played a clean game and mistakes and penalties were plentiful. Rice was the beneficiary of the games’ most impactful mishaps, the aforementioned turnovers, but the Owls shot themselves in the foot way too many times to pass over.

Rice committed 12 penalties for 95 yards in the game. At halftime, the Owls’ 70 penalty yards at that point were equal to UConn’s combined offensive output: 70 yards on 36 plays. The final Rice penalty before the break came on a botched center/quarterback exchange, the second of the afternoon. That resulted in a 10-second runoff, taking the game clock to zero and preventing Rice from attempting what would have been a 49-yard field goal attempt.

During Bloomgren’s first three years with the Owls, Rice averaged 3.97 penalties per game. The program might not have had the talent to contend, but they didn’t beat themselves with foolish mistakes very often. That hasn’t been the case for the last several seasons and it’s been noticeably problematic this year. Rice committed a season-high 11 penalties for 93 yards against UTSA.

Rice is now averaging seven penalties per game.

When you’re playing with margins as slim as the Owls have been working with this year, every yard counts. This team can’t afford to be giving so many of them away for free, particularly when it comes to dead ball, unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, which Rice was whistled for on multiple occasions on Saturday.

Out of options

Earlier this year after the Owls had gotten off to a tough start, Bloomgren commented that no more reinforcements were on the way. If this team was going to figure it out and get back to their winning ways, they were going to have to find their answers internally.

Those comments weren’t directed at individual players who had yet to see the field, but any illusions that there were remaining personnel waiting in the wings to save the Owls’ season were quelled on Saturday in East Hartford.

Against UConn, Rice saw extensive run from their backup quarterback — often the assumed savior whenever a starter struggles — and finally got receiver Thai Bowman back on the field. Neither was able to produce a meaningful difference in an offense that has been stuck in the mud in recent weeks. There aren’t any other players to turn to. This is the team. This is the coaching staff. And they’ve almost run out of time.

Sitting at 2-6, any subsequent loss will knock Rice football out of bowl contention. A failed season is staring Bloomgren and Co. in the face and putting his future at the head of the program in jeopardy. Running the table feels improbable, at best, but that’s the only hope this team can cling to as they move ahead.

“We have been playoff football mode many times, where we got to win out and we gotta get this thing done to get to a bowl,” Bloomgren said. “I think this team wants to play in a bowl, badly. And I think this team can earn the right to do that. But you also know, 1-0 next week ain’t going to be easy. We’re gonna have to play our butts off and we’re gonna have to find a way to score some points and get our defense to stop an offense that’s been scoring a lot of points in Navy.”

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Defensive prowess not enough

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