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Rice Women’s Basketball fizzles late, falls to FAU

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Rice women’s basketball has now dropped three of its last four, falling to FAU to kick off a road trip to Florida on a low note.

Still without the services of veteran guard Malia Fisher, Rice women’s basketball got off to a strong start on the road against FAU on Saturday. The Owls scored the first five points and controlled the contest for much of the early goings, trailing for a total of 19 seconds in the first half.

Nine different Rice players scored in that first half, producing one of the most balanced box scores you’ll see in the sport today. Eight different players made at least one field goal. It truly was a team effort that enabled the Owls to keep pace with a feisty FAU team that forced the Owls into several mental mistakes.

A strong third quarter for Dominque Ennis nearly put the game out of reach. Rice went up by as many as 12 points and entered the final quarter with an 11-point advantage. It would not be enough.

Rice shot 30.8 percent from the field in the last frame. FAU knocked down 70 percent of their shots, including a sterling 5-for-5 from three. That led to a 30-point outburst for the home team and a come-from-ahead Rice loss. The loss drops Rice to 6-4 in league play.

Final Box | FAU 68 – Rice 63

Key takeaway | Turnover troubles

Rice women’s basketball probably should have won this game. They were better from the field. They had more rebounds, more second-chance points and more blocks. Other important measures — free throws, points in the paint, assists — were all relatively even. The one glaring statistic not in the Owls’ favor? Turnovers.

Rice turned the ball over 21 times compared to FAU’s 12 turnovers. To make matters worse, FAU had 10 steals. Rice had none. Practically, that translates to extra opportunities for the other team. FAU attempted five more shots and made two more threes. But it was how those opportunities arose, FAU chances given at the expense of Rice getting a shot off, that cost the Owls this game.

Up Next: at USF (Wednesday, Feb. 7)

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Sussy Ngulefac powers Rice Women’s Basketball past SMU

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Sussy Ngulefac came off the bench and delivered a monster performance, propelling Rice women’s basketball to a big win over SMU.

In their lone season as mutual members of the American Conference, Rice women’s basketball and SMU have played some tightly contested games. That was true of the first game between these basketball programs on the gridiron a few weeks ago. The lead changed hands nine times in that game, with Rice winning in Dallas on a buzzer-beating shot from Destiny Jackson.

On Wednesday night in the final regular season rematch between the two squads, the lead had changed nine times… before the fourth quarter began. Rife with injuries, Rice benefited from a career performance off the bench from Sussy Ngulefac.

Ngulefac, who hadn’t made more than a single field goal in a game for Rice this season after transferring from Samford, became the go-to offensive weapon for the Owls. She was a mesmerizing 8-of-9 from the field, scoring 19 points, blowing past her previous Rice-high of five points by the widest of margins.

As Ngulefac dominated inside, Rice got key perimeter shots from Dominque Ennis, Maya Bokunewicz and the final dagger from Emily Klaczek, putting the Owls up by double-digits with just over 90 seconds to play. There would be no need for a buzzer-beater this time around. Rice dribbled out the clock and celebrated.

“I think this was a must-win game. We had our backs against the wall and it was like, how are we going to respond? How are we going to step up?” head coach Lindsay Edmonds shared after the game. Her team provided quite an emphatic answer.

The victory gives Rice women’s basketball a regular season sweep over SMU. It also breaks a deadlock in the all-time series. Before this game, Rice and SMU were tied 36-36 in wins in series history. Rice now sends SMU off from the AAC with a losing record against the Owls.

“It’ll help with recruiting,” Edmonds said with a grin.

Final Box | Rice 69 – SMU 60

Key takeaway | Ngulefac Attack

Injuries have dealt Rice women’s basketball a tough hand in recent weeks. Without Shelby Hayes for seemingly the long haul, getting limited minutes from Jazzy Owens Barnett and none at all from veteran leader Malia Fisher, Rice was going to need someone else to come through to beat a talented SMU squad.

“We needed someone to step up big in the worst way and I wasn’t sure who that was going to be,” Edmonds admitted.

That mystery didn’t last long. Ngulefac was a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor in the first half with three rebounds and an assist. Then she exploded for another 12 points in the second half, bringing her evening totals to 19 points, seven rebounds and assist and a block. In need of a spark, Ngulefac provided a bonfire.

“I think this is what we knew Sussy could be. From the moment she went into the portal, the moment we had that first conversation and I was able to watch film on her, this is what I saw her bringing to this team,” Edmonds said. “I’m just really happy for her, because I know it’s been an uphill battle for her and she’s had hard days, as anyone would and she just now can get rewarded for her hard work.”

As for Ngulefac herself, she’s just happy to be back on the court. Injuries have limited her ability to contribute this season. Finally healthy, to see her explode like this was encouraging for everyone. “It feels really good to be back and feel like myself,” she said. “But we like to celebrate each other. We love each other. That’s one of those things that makes us a family. So I go off like that, they’re going to celebrate with me.”

The evening ended with Ngulefac, mobbed by her teammates after the stands sang out Rice’s honor.

Up Next: at FAU (Saturday, Feb. 3)

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UPSET! Rice Basketball stuns Memphis

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Rice basketball stunned Memphis, leading the home favorites for the majority of the game to notch one of the biggest wins of Scott Pera’s tenure.

If Rice basketball was meant to be intimidated as heavy underdogs at the FedEx Forum against Memphis, they didn’t show it. The visiting Owls, losers of six of seven AAC contests, held Memphis to 22 points in the first half, outshooting the Tigers on their home court as they built a double-digit lead in the opening frame.

It was sharp shooting from Keanu Dawes and Alem Huseinovic that helped the Owls build their early lead. Anthony Selden delivered the closing run of the half, pushing the Rice lead to 11, their largest of the night so far. From that point, the play-by-play reverted to a familiar storyline. Rice had a big lead, could they hold on?

Rice basketball has squandered its fair share of double-digit leads this season. On Wednesday night, whether it was favor finally finding the feathered fighters or a true moment of resolve, one might never know, but Rice found a way to hold the line.

Memphis took the lead back with four minutes remaining, erasing the longstanding Rice advantage. Rather than fluster, Rice fired back. Travis Evee connected on back-to-back threes. The first tied the game. The second put Rice in front with less than a minute to play. Dawes would make four crucial free throws after that. Evee added one more from the stripe. Then it was over.

A last-second heave from Memphis clanked off the rim and hit the court. Before it collided with the hardwood, the Rice bench had already begun celebrating one of, if not the biggest win of Scott Pera’s tenure.

“It took 40 minutes of a team effort from top to bottom. Guys that played a lot of the game, guys that didn’t play it all. Everyone was engaged,” Evee said. “We played for each other and that’s why we won.”

Final Box | Rice 74 – Memphis 71

Key takeaway | Best Ball

Evee said it best in his closing comments after the landmark win: “When we’re playing our best ball, we can compete with anyone.” That’s been the thesis this team has been clinging to for months now. Since the season began, this team believed they had a team that was good enough to challenge the best the American Conference had to offer. On Wednesday night, they were finally rewarded.

“Our kids have overcome a lot. They’ve dealt with a lot. Tonight was just a heck of a win from a group of kids that have just been staying with it,” head coach Scott Pera said afterward. “The preparation has been good. The practice has been good. The approach and the attitude has been good. And it’s all that you can ask as a coach. You want to see them get some wins because you know that we can win.”

Memphis was the No. 10 team in the country a few weeks ago. Even when accounting for their recent losing skid — now exacerbated by the Owls — this is a very good basketball team. And Rice beat them, arguably making the game a lot closer than it should have been with the missed free throws down the stretch.

The question now will be whether or not this team can replicate that kind of 40-minute effort. If they can, they’ll have a shot to climb out of the sizable hole they dug for themselves over the last several weeks. Everyone in that locker room believes this game can be that turning point. Hopefully, they’re right.

Up Next: at UTSA (Saturday, Feb. 3)

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Furious comeback falls short as Rice basketball loses to Tulsa

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A furious last-minute rally fell just short as Rice basketball dropped a crucial home tilt to Tulsa, 85-83.

Leads were fleeting for Rice basketball on Saturday night against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane scored twice to open the game with a 5-0 lead before a 7-0 Rice run put the Owls in front. That would prove to be the only lead for the home team through the remainder of the contest, which would ebb and flow and remain competitive up until the final buzzer.

No sooner had Rice claimed their meager lead did Tulsa rattle off an 11-0 run. Alem Huseinovic would fire back with a pair of threes and then shortly after an 8-0 Tulsa run put Rice down 12 points on their home court.

Rice was able to engineer a few spurts of success to cut their deficit. Max Fiedler orchestrated a good portion of those pushes, finishing three assists shy of a triple-double (14 points, 10 boards, 7 assists). Travis Evee scored all 15 of his points in the second half. Mekhi Mason led the way with 19 points.

Down by eight with 27 seconds, Rice nearly completed a miracle comeback, missing a tip shot at the buzzer that would have forced overtime. With the loss, Rice falls to 1-6 in league play, allowing Tulsa to pick up its first road win in two years, snapping a streak of 18 consecutive road losses.

Final Box | Tulsa 85 – Rice 83

Key takeaway | Reenergizing Evee

Not far removed from a scoreless 0-for-12 outing against FAU on Wednesday, Evee spent most of the first half of this game riding the bench, sidelined by early foul trouble after missing his lone shot attempt before the halftime buzzer.

In total, he would go more than 43 minutes of time on the court without a made field goal, dating back to a layup against Temple. That streak was mercifully ended with a second half three, part of an eventual 15-point outburst that nearly included a game winning three, had it not been blocked.

Rice played FAU and Tulsa close with little contribution from their best scorer. Rice doesn’t get anywhere close to their furious comeback without Evee, who scored five of the Owls’ 13 points in the final minute. If Rice is going to have any shot of getting things going down the stretch, they need Evee at his best. Hopefully the second half a sign he’s heating up once again.

Up Next: at Memphis (Wednesday, Jan. 31)

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

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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)

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