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Rice Women’s Basketball rallies past Southern Miss for gritty road win

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Rice Women’s Basketball trailed for most of the game and did not shoot well at all but the Owls still found a way to take down Southern Miss.

Blisteringly fast starts have been the hallmark of Rice women’s basketball this season. Depth issues and inexperience have made those early leads tenuous at times, but winning the first quarter has never been a serious problem. That’s what made Saturday’s slow start in Hattiesburg so surprising.

Rice shot 14.3 percent from the floor in the first quarter and fell eight points behind Southern Miss 15-7, Trailing by more points than they’d managed to score, the Owls had no choice other than to chip away.

Bolstered by a powerful defensive effort, Rice began their comeback. Southern Miss made two field goals in the second quarter and attempted just seven field goals. They turned the ball over seven times in the frame compared to three turnovers from the Owls, who held the home team without a field goal for more than six consecutive minutes. When the halftime buzzer sounded, it was a one-point game in favor of Southern Miss.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball runs out of gas, players in 2OT loss to LA Tech
While it probably won’t move the needle for those outside of South Main, this victory might very well go down as the win of the year.

The teams traded baskets in the third quarter but although Rice was able to tie the score twice, they never took the lead, instead allowing Southern Miss to gradually increase the margin to seven points midway through the fourth quarter.

Southern Miss outrebounded Rice 43-41. They outshot the Owls 36.7 percent to 27.9 percent. Through the first 38+ minutes of regulation, Rice never led. But when Malia Fisher secured a putback with 1:12 to play and Destiny Jackson followed with a layup with 18 seconds remaining, none of those numbers mattered.

Rice only led for 42 seconds, but it was the most meaningful 42 seconds of the game. For this shorthanded team to have so much go against them and still find a way to win is absolutely stunning. While it probably won’t move the needle for those outside of South Main, this victory might very well go down as the win of the year.

Player Spotlight | Ashlee Austin

On a day when nobody wearing blue and gray could find the basket, Ashlee Austin’s offensive contributions were massive. Austin led both teams with 18 points and added 10 rebounds, including three offensive boards. It was her first career double-double of the season, and every point and rebound was critical to complete the Owls’ thrilling comeback.

Stat Corner | 27.9 Percent

Rice women’s basketball came into this game averaging 40.4 percent shooting from the field on the season. Every team has its good days and its bad days when it comes to shooting, but the Owls had unarguably their worst shooting performance of the season on Saturday against the team atop the C-USA West Standings.

Entering Saturday, the Owls’ worst shooting percentage in a win was 38 percent against Texas Southern on Nov. 17.  They hadn’t won a game shooting worst than 30 percent since beating Old Dominion in February of 2019. Rice shot 27.9 percent against Southern Miss. And they won.

Final Box | Rice 51 – Southern Miss 46

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has two final games remaining on the regular season slate. They will host UTEP on Mar. 3 and then UTSA on Mar. 5, Senior Day. From there, it’s onto the Conference USA Tournament which could start for Rice as early as Tuesday, Mar. 8.

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Shorthanded Rice Women’s Basketball runs out of gas in OT vs LA Tech

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Rice Women’s Basketball fought to the end but ran out of gas in a double-overtime defeat at Louisiana Tech.

Winners of three straight, Rice women’s basketball headed to Ruston with confidence. The Owls had seemingly gotten over the hump and gotten into a rhythm. The Conference USA Division was so wide open, in fact, that Rice entered the game with a real chance to leap up the standings. To get there, Rice would have to defeat Louisiana Tech for the second time this season, a feat they came within two overtimes of achieving.

Things started quietly enough with both teams trading points in the first quarter. Louisana Tech would go on the game’s first big run, taking a nine-point lead into halftime. That lead would briefly reach 10 points midway through the third quarter, then Ashlee Austin took over.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball takes second straight from UAB

Following an eight-point outburst from Destiny Jackson, Austin would score the Owls’ final 14 points of the third quarter. No other Owls scored in that frame, but Rice wouldn’t need much more help at that point. The large lead was ground down to three points when the fourth quarter began.

It was Maya Bokunewicz who would step up next. She connected on back-to-back three-pointers early in the fourth quarter to give Rice its first lead since the beginnings of the second quarter. Not long after, India Bellamy was helped off the court by trainers who were able to hold on and force overtime.

Rice women’s basketball hung tough in the first extra period but had to watch as what might have been the game-winning last-second shot by Malia Fisher bounced off the boards. In the second overtime, Rice would not be as fortunate. Fisher fouled out as did Jackson and the shorthanded Owls were held without a field goal in the final period, falling on the road 90-80.

Player Spotlight | Destiny Jackson

Jackson has been a revelation over the last month of the season. She’s developed into a lethal scoring threat, but she did it all on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech, notching her first carer double-double. She had 10 rebounds to lead all Owls with 14 points and six assists. If good things were happening for Rice, Jackson was almost always involved.

Stat Corner | More than once, twice

Rice women’s basketball was extremely fortunate they were able to get Bellamy back on the court in overtime after a nasty looking fall in regulation. They needed her down the stretch in large part because this team seemingly doesn’t know how to quit, even when facing tired legs and endless extra periods. This game marks the second overtime game Rice has played this season and both games have included multiple extra periods. Rice lost to Charlotte in 4 OT on Jan. 22.

Final Box | LA Tech 90 – Rice 80

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has one last stop on the road this coming Saturday against Southern Miss, then it’s back to Houston for two final home games to wrap up the regular season. They’ll host UTEP on Mar. 3 and UTSA on Mar. 5, Senior Day.

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Rice Baseball 2022: Owls top HBU for first win of Cruz Jr. era

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Rice baseball picked up the first win of the Jose Cruz Jr. era, beating Houston Baptist and former Rice great Lance Berkman.

Opening weekend wasn’t the grand entrance many Rice baseball fans had been hoping for with new head coach Jose Cruz Jr. in the dugout. The Owls were swept, gave up 36 runs and only scored three of their own. Reasons for optimism were in dire need. They found several in a midweek win over Houston Baptist.

Although the narrative surrounding the game centered on a battle of coaches — Cruz and Houston Baptist headman Lance Berkman were once roommates at Rice — the game itself was vigorous. Rice jumped out in front when two runs scored on an HBU error in the first inning.

Rice added to their advantage the following inning on a sac fly by Austin Bulman and once more on a fourth-inning RBI double by Antonio Cruz. Leading 4-0, Rice pitcher Parker Smith had all the breathing room he needed.

Last Time Out : Takeaways from Rice Baseball swept by Texas, 3-0

“I was just trying to throw strikes,” Smith said once he’d wrapped up six innings of scoreless baseball, striking out four without issuing any walks. Other than a hit batsman, the pitching performance was almost a full 180-degree turn from how the Owls fared last weekend.

Things were quiet on the scoreboard until Smith left the game. Following two runs from the Owls in the top half of the seventh, the Huskies would muster their first run in the bottom of the frame. They’d get one more in the eighth before falling to the Owls by a final score of 6-2.

What it means

The talent differential between Rice baseball and Houston Baptist is supposed to be fairly sizable. Rice should win this game more often than they don’t, but learning how to win is something that holds material weight in the baseball world of superstitions and processes. Rice got the monkey off their back before it turned into a gorilla. 1-3 isn’t great, but it’s a lot better than 0-4.

“I’m so excited we finally won a game,” Cruz Jr. said in relief. “The boys have been hungry for it, they’ve been working hard. So I’m happy to get that out of the way.”

ON DECK | Lamar

Rice baseball kicks off a 17-game homestand on Friday, beginning with a three-game series against Lamar. That set is part of a 34-game home schedule, the most regular-season games every play at Reckling Park following it’s opening in 2000.

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Rice Basketball: Owls’ late rally comes up short at FIU

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Rice Basketball rallied late, but came up just short on the road against FIU, dropping their third straight Conference USA game.

Cameron Sheffield entered the starting lineup and quickly got things started for Rice basketball against FIU on Saturday. His three-pointer opened the scoring, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Owls from falling behind quickly on the road.

A swift 9-0 run put the Panthers in front by six. That advantage would strengthen to 10 points around the midpoint of the first half and reach as many as 17 points before Rice was able to begin to chip away early in the second half.

Last Time Out: Rice Basketball knocked out by UAB on the road

The Owls’ second half surge was sparked by Travis Evee and Carl Pierre, both of which contributed multiple three-pointers to trim the large gap to a 61-61 ballgame with just under eight minutes to play. Trailing by three points in the final minute, Rice turned to fouls but was unable to get the margin closer than two points even with a last-second three from Chris Mullins as the clock expired.

The loss is the Owls’ third consecutive conference loss since they lost guard Quincy Olivari to injury. It ties their longest losing streak of the season, a three-game drought from Nov. 23 to Nov. 30 including losses to Oakland, Fordham and Texas State.

Player Spotlight | Travis Evee

Evee bounced back from a slower-shooting night from three on Thursday, splashing six triples on 14 attempts, including several in the second half to spark the initial Rice rally. He and Carl Pierre (3-for-8 from three) are going to have to be the sparkplugs in this offense and both contributed meaningful buckets to the cause against FIU.

Stat Corner | Out-glassed

Rebounding was a crucial differentiator in this game. Not only did FIU outrebound Rice 42-28, the Panthers had 12 offensive rebounds to the Owls six. That led to more opportunities and more second-chance points. Shedding size in favor of shooting comes with a risk. Rice found themselves on the wrong side of that margin on Saturday.

Final Box | FIU 80 – Rice 78

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice basketball will have a few days to regroup. They host Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Feb. 24 and Southern Miss on Saturday, Feb. 26 in their final homestand before finishing the regular season on the road prior to the start of the conference tournament in March.

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Lights out free-throw performance lifts Rice Women’s Basketball past FIU

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Rice Women’s Basketball was lights out down the stretch, closing out their home tilt with FIU to secure their first 2-0 weekend in league play.

The first points of the afternoon went to FIU, but Rice women’s basketball followed up a pair of their opponents’ free throws with a 14-5 run, starting strong in their effort to secure their first 2-0 weekend in conference play this season.

The Owls the Panthers to 12.5 percent shooting in the first quarter but it wouldn’t come that easy. FIU punched back in the second frame, outscoring Rice 21-11. Rice led by as many as five points in the final two minutes before FIU closed the quarter on an 8-0 run including a three-point heave at the buzzer to break a 25-25 tie.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball edges UAB at home

The three-point shot would continue to play an important role in the game moving forward. Both teams hit from long range on two of their first three baskets of the second half as the Owls worked to whittle down a Panthers’ lead that reached six points early in the third quarter.

The game would stay within reach for both sides until the midpoint of the fourth quarter when Rice slammed the door. A 9-0 Rice run — with seven of the nine points coming from the free-throw line — put the game out of reach. The Owls did not make a field goal in the final 3:37 but were still able to maintain a comfortable margin as they closed things out.

Player Spotlight | Malia Fisher

Fisher was tremendous in the Owls’ defensive efforts down the stretch, securing 18 rebounds, the most in a game by any Conference USA player this season. She made 11-of-13 free throws, scoring 17 points. She also tied for the team lead in assists (four) and had the Owls’ only block of the game. A true freshman, Fisher’s ascent is only just beginning.

Stat Corner | Free throws = Free points

The free-throw line was where Rice women’s basketball won this game. Rice hit 31-of-36 attempts from the charity stripe, building their fourth quarter lead on foul shots and maintaining the differential with near-perfect accuracy from the line. The Owls made 20-of-22 free throws in the fourth quarter alone.

Final Box | Rice 73 – FIU 67

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball will have a quick turnaround. The Owls start a three-game road trip on Monday when they travel to Birmingham to play UAB for the second time in five days. From there, they’ll finish out the trip the following weekend with games at Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Feb. 24 and Southern Miss on Saturday, Feb. 26.

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