The source for Rice sports news

Malia Fisher’s big day propels Rice Women’s Basketball past Marshall

By

Rice Women’s Basketball won its first Conference USA Tournament game on Wednesday, soaring past Marshall thanks to Malia Fisher’s big day.

Earlier this season, Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds had talked about the importance of winning the third quarter. That need had progressed to winning the fourth quarter as the Owls struggled to close games out at the start of conference play.

On Wednesday morning in their opening game of the Conference USA Tournament, Rice won the second quarter, and they did so with such an emphatic blow it set the tone for the remainder of the contest, one in which they would go on to score 80 points, a Rice women’s Basketball Conference USA Tournament record.

The Owls took a three-point lead out of the first quarter and opened with an 8-0 run to kick off the second period. It was the Owls’ defense though, combined with a voracious desire to attack the basket, that left the most resounding mark. Marshall would make just two field goals in the second quarter, shooting a meager 11.1 percent from the field. Conversely, Rice went to the line 12 times in the frame and knocked down all 12 shots.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball rains down threes, beats UTSA

Leading 38 to 25 at halftime, all Rice had to do was buckle down and hold the line. That’s exactly what they did. Marshall would get their deficit back within single digits on a few occasions early in the third quarter, but from the moment Maya Bokenewicz drained her second three-pointer of the day with 6:17 to play in the third, it was a runaway win for the Owls.

“We’re definitely playing our best basketball,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds remarked. “The proof is in our record. We’re clicking.”

Rice would extend their lead to as many as 18, maintaining at least a 14 point advantage for the duration of the fourth quarter. Marshall never got within striking distance and the Owls were able to coast down the stretch to their first win of the tournament.

Player Spotlight | Malia Fisher

With Ashlee Austin sidelined with foul trouble, Rice women’s basketball was going to need someone to help shoulder the load. Malia Fisher answered the call with one of the most spectacular outings of her young career. Days removed from being named to the All-Conference team, Malia Fisher put on a rebounding clinic in Frisco, TX.

Fisher ended the game with 16 rebounds, nearly tying her career-best 18-rebound game against FIU just a few short weeks ago. She also added 17 points.

“I wasn’t aware of [having a double-double] until I came out in the last couple minutes until I came out,” Fisher said. “You just go out there and play. I’m not really worried about the numbers. A win is a win.”

Coach Edmonds was elated to see Fisher’s success but stressed this was just the beginning of the freshmen’s abilities. “Her ceiling is extremely high. We’re tapping into that, but we’re not even close. The future is very, very bright for Malia,” Edmonds said. “She’s an unbelievable young lade. I’m glad she’s wearing that uniform.”

Stat Corner | Free throws and free points

Rice did a lot of things well against Marshall, but their dominance at the free throw line might have been the most impactful differentiator. The Owls hit 25-of-27 free throws (92.6 percent). Marshall attempted just 15, but made a woeful eight of those attempts (53.3 percent).

While the Herd handed away points at the stripe, Rice stockpiled them. It would have been enough to give Rice the win in a close game. As well as they played on Wednesday, it was enough to comfortably send them to the second round.

Final Box | Rice 80 – Marshall 62

Up Next | Full Schedule

With the win, Rice women’s basketball advances to the third round of the Conference USA Tournament where they’ll face Charlotte, the No. 1 seed in the East. The Owls and 49ers played a 4 OT thriller in the regular season with the 49ers coming out on top in that contest.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball doubles down, takes second-straight from UAB

By

Rice Women’s Basketball went wire-to-wire with UAB for the second time this week and once again walked away victorious.

Five days ago Rice women’s basketball squared off with UAB and Tudor Fieldhouse and grineded out a narrow win over the visiting Blazers. On Monday the two squads switched courts, but the results were the same. Rice and UAB found themselves in a tight game in the fourth quarter and once more, Rice was able to squeeze out the win.

The game of runs started out in favor of the home team. UAB opened the game on a 7-0 run before Rice readied a counterpunch. When the Owls were ready, they delivered a 13-0 rally. The game was on.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball tops FIU at home

Neither side led by more than seven points. The Blazers held that advantage in the first quarter before the Owls’ run. Rice didn’t reach their own seven-point advantage until Destiny Jackson knocked down a pair of free throws ith 5:49 to play in the fourth quarter. Even then, UAB would trim the margin to two before Maya Bokunewicz delivered a crucial step-back jumper to give Rice breathing room in the final minute.

Player Spotlight | Destiny Jackson

Although she hasn’t put together any 20-point games yet, Destiny Jackson has quietly become a weapon for the Rice women’s basketball offensive attack. Over the course of the last month, she’s scored in double-digits in four of six games, ramping up her shot volume over the Owls’ three-game winning streak in which she’s averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She scored 12 with six boards on Monday.

What they’re saying |

“I know I say it all the time but I am just really so proud of this team. To come on the road on a quick turnaround after two hard-fought wins at home and pick up another one just says so much about this team, their toughness, and their fight.

Our mentality of winning the day has really stuck with them and now it’s on to the next.”

— Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Final Box | Rice 60 – UAB 55

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has checked off the first stop of a three-game road trip that started on Monday. From Birmingham, they’ll head to Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Feb. 24 and then finish things off in Hattiesburg against Southern Miss on Saturday, Feb. 26.

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

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball holds on, edges UAB at home

By

Rice Women’s Basketball was forced to battle for a full 40 minutes, but the Owls left Tudor Fieldhouse with a hard-fought win over UAB.

Following an 0-5 start to conference play, Rice women’s basketball had just started to settle into a rhythm, earning at least a split of games over two consecutive weekends before falling to North Texas twice in four days. Seeking to get back on the right foot, the Owls opened their current homestand with a hard-fought victory over the UAB Blazers.

Rice scored first and shot well from the field early, but UAB had an answer for seemingly every basket the Owls sunk. A 12-3 Rice run in the first quarter expanded their lead to as many as six, but they’d end the first quarter with only a two-point lead despite shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball drops two-game set against UNT

UAB would push ahead early in the second quarter, but the margin never grew beyond four points in favor of either side. The Blazers spread their points around. The Owls saw contributions from a group of shooters as well, but it was the sharp shooting of Maya Bokunewicz that made the difference. Her step-back three gave Rice a 40-39 lead at halftime, proving an exclamation point for her 17-point first-half performance.

Rice was able to extend that lead in the third quarter, stretching it to eight points on a step-back jumper from Ashlee Austin which put Rice up 55-47. It was at that point the Owls seemed to have established themselves in the driver’s seat only to watch UAB storm back and tie the game back up at 65 midway through the fourth quarter.

“A lot of our games are going to come down to wire,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said in the aftermath. “We have to be better in those moments, myself included.”

Said with the memory of fourth quarters that didn’t go the Owls’ way, Edmonds and company settled down and locked in. The game would come down to fouls and free throws in the final seconds. In need of one last surge, the Owls got it done with two free throws from Bokunewicz to ice the win.

Player Spotlight | Maya Bokunewicz

Bokunewicz redshirted last season before becoming a fixture in the Rice women’s basketball starting lineup in her second campaign on South Main. Before Thursday, her career-best game had come on the road against Middle Tennessee on January 7 when she scored a career0high 20 points and added five rebounds. She entered the starting lineup the following game and has been there ever since.

She scored 17 points in the first half against UAB, finishing with 19 points and eight rebounds. She credited the big game with more confidence in her shot, saying she’s “definitely slowed down and just kind of gotten into a rhythm with the game.”

Stat Corner | 58%

When asked about Bocunewicz’s scoring outburst, Edmonds mentioned a conversation she’d had with the redshirt freshmen in the preseason in which Bocunewicz had admitted to being reluctant to shoot three-pointers. Edmonds told the young guard to get comfortable. “I love the three,” Edmonds said recalling that conversation.

On Thursday. Bocunewicz was 3-of-5 from three and the Owls connected on 58 percent of their shots from deep. Those early three kept Rice in the game. The late triples helped them put it away.

Final Box | Rice 81 – UAB 76

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball won’t have much of a reprieve before they meet UAB on the court once again. The Owls host FIU on Saturday but make the trip to Birmingham to play the Blazers on Monday, Feb. 21. They will finish that road trip the following weekend with games at Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Feb. 24 and Southern Miss on Saturday, Feb. 26.

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

Recent Posts

“Tough Cards”: Rice Women’s Basketball forced to deal with extremely thin roster

By

Rice women’s basketball has endured a challenging month and the road ahead promises to be equally grueling, in part because of the limitations of an extremely thin roster.

Head coach Lindsay Edmonds isn’t one to make excuses, but she couldn’t avoid discussing the state of Rice women’s basketball’s current roster following a tough home loss to Western Kentucky last week. The game was the first home contest for the Owls since December 11, more than a month ago. Part of the reason for the lengthy delay was the sheer quantity (or lack thereof) of bodies the program had available to put on the court.

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

Rice women’s basketball faces severe depth issues, further amplified by two recent injuries. Alexis Stover tore her ACL and had surgery last week. She will miss the remainder of the season. Katelyn Crosthwait will have surgery on her meniscus this week and will be out for at least four weeks. There’s some optimism she’ll be able to return by late February or early March. At a minimum, she’ll miss the majority of the Owls’ remaining season.

“We looked over at Western Kentucky warming up…

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

2021-2022 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

By

The 2021-2022 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. The team will look different this year and they’ll be learning as they go.

The last several months have been what new head coach Lindsay Edmonds dubbed a “whirlwind” for herself and the Rice women’s basketball program, There’s a new staff, what feels like a new roster and now it’s finally time to put everything together on the court.

Aware of the enormity of the challenge, Edmonds seems ready to lean into the adversity. “The expectations are to compete. The expectations are to win,” she said. “I know we lost a lot (of players) but that still doesn’t change who I am and what I’m about, so I still want us to compete in each and every game that we play, give our best, do all the little things and have each other’s back on the court.”

It’s going to take a group effort to achieve those goals. Rice returns one starter from last year’s team, Katelyn Crosthwait, and will rely on a thin roster featuring only 11 players. Incoming freshmen who might normally have been eased into service could be called on as early as opening day.

Edmonds made that clear from the start. “Everybody is going to be on the court. There’s not a lot on the roster so I expect everyone to play this year,” she said.” That likely means fans will need to break out their scorecards and start learning the roster from top to bottom. To help expedite that process, here’s the lay of the land for Rice women’s basketball as the season approaches.

The Coach – Lindsay Edmonds

For the first time in the last six seasons, Rice women’s basketball has a new woman at the helm. Lindsay Edmonds has taken over the head coaching title after Tina Langley departed for Washington. Edmonds had spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant at NC State where she was a part of three Sweet 16 appearances and coached multiple WNBA draft selections.

Last Season Snapshot

Rice women’s basketball made history last season with the program’s first-ever WNIT title. The Owls finished the season with a trophy and a 23-4 record, dropping just two conference games prior to a conference tournament championship game loss to Middle Tennessee, a game that was decided by just three points.

Key Question

Who will emerge on this rebuilt roster? In addition to losing their head coach, Rice will also be without Nancy Mulkey, Lauren Schwartz, Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith — four of their five starters from last season. That begs the question, who will take the big shot?

“There’s not a lot of players that played in those key and crucial moments in the past.,” Edmonds said. “I need to learn who I can trust in those moments. I need to learn who can handle the pressure of those moments. And I think we can’t figure that out quite yet in practices.”

Rice Women’s Basketball Schedule | Key Games/Dates

Nov. 9, 2021 – Season opener vs St. Edwards at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 20, 2021 – Owls host Oklahoma State
Dec. 19, 2021 – Owls visit Texas A&M
Jan. 1, 2021 – Conference USA home opener vs North Texas
Jan. 6, 2021 – Conference USA first road game at Middle Tennessee
Mar. 8, 2021 – Conference USA Tournament

You can find the complete 2020-2021 Rice women’s basketball schedule here.

Key Returners

Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (So.)

Crosthwait is one of two captains for Rice women’s basketball this year and the only returning starter. She led Rice with 43 three-pointers last year and started every game for the Owls including their run through the WNIT tournament. She’s a proven rebounder and is the most experienced player on this team. She will be looked to early and often as this young team works to find their rhythm.

Haylee Swayze, Guard (Jr.)

Also a team captain this season, Swayze is expected to make the jump from key reserve to key starter. She was the team’s leading scorer off the bench last season, averaging 6.7 points per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. She’s played in 80 games across three seasons, making two starts. Her role will increase significantly this season.

Destiny Jackson, Guard (So.)

Part of a very highly regarded 2019 signing class, Jackson was a key piece off the bench for the Owls in each of the last two seasons. She averaged 3.5 points and 3.2 rebounds last season, also creating 1.9 assists per game. She’ll be trusted with the ball in her hands often and could become an important distributor in what is expected to be a much faster-paced offense.

India Bellamy, Forward (So.)

Bellamy averaged 12.3 minutes per game last season, doubling her floor time from her true freshman season. She was able to snag 55 rebounds during that time and will be a trusted post presence for Rice on the court this season. She’s shot 42.2 percent from the field over two seasons with the Owls and is one of a handful of players Edmonds singled out as being in line to “play a lot of minutes.”

Ashlee Austin, Forward (So.)

Austin rounds out the group of players that have meaningful on-court experience for the Owls. She’s a physical forward that is strong with the ball but her Croswthwait was sure to note “she can make quick moves”, praising her versatility. She played 6.3 minutes per game last season, seeing action in 16 contests from the back end of the bench. She’ll be in line for a much larger role this season as well.

Enjoy The Roost? Consider supporting our coverage of the Owls by subscribing on Patreon. For as little as $10 per month, you’ll get access to exclusive content, reports and updates.

Become a Patron!

Key names off the bench

Alexis Stover, Forward (Gr.) – The only transfer addition to the Rice women’s basketball roster,  Stover comes to South Main from Wright State and brings NCAA Tournament experience.

Arianna McCurry, Center (Jr.) – A reserve center last year who seldom saw the court, her 6-foot-6 size and no Mulkey will likely necessitate more playing time than her 7.4 minutes per game last season.

Maya Bokunewicz, Guard (Fr.) – Bokunewicz redshirted last season. She was praised for her versatility by the previous staff and could play multiple positions for Rice. Finding her niche will be key.

Malia Fisher, Forward (Fr.) – One of three new freshmen on the roster, Fisher is player that Edmonds described as someone with the “ability to do something that makes you go, ‘wow'”

Trinity Gooden, Guard (Fr.) – Another incoming freshman, Edmonds was enamored with Gooden’s toughness and style of play. Both she and Fisher could challenge for starting roles sooner than later.

Robin Whitehead, Guard (Fr.) – A later addition to the roster, Whitehead was a two-year starter at Atoscita where she averaged 14 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 steals.

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

Recent Posts