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Rice Women’s Basketball runs out of gas, falls to MTSU

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Rice women’s basketball finally opened conference play this weekend against Middle Tennessee, falling to the Blue Raiders on the road.

Head coach Lindsay Edmonds had always known the 2021-2022 Rice women’s basketball season was going to be challenging. Her transition to the school, plus a thinned roster and the seemingly inevitable bouts with COVID-19 posed a daunting challenge. But even forwarned those obstacles would come, it was hard for anyone within the program to prepare for what they faced over the course of the past month.

Rice last played a basketball game on December 16. They finally made their way to Murfreesboro, TN to open conference play against Middle Tennesse only to have the game delayed by a snowstorm. Exhausted, they took the court anyway and somehow managed to reel off a 13-2 run to open the contest.

Staked to an 11 point lead, the Owls had hope. Then the more seasoned Blue Raiders, who hadn’t been out of action for more than three weeks, overtook the Owls and turned a close game into a one-sided affair shortly before the halftime buzzer.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball Midseason State of the Program

Edmonds was honest in her comments after the loss, “It’s been a really rough couple of weeks for us,” she said, “From tests popping positive, to canceling games, to extending an already long Christmas break even longer, practicing with as few as 6 players for several days, weather delays – trying to get back into game shape after 10 days of quarantine has been extremely challenging.

“But I’m not into making excuses. That was the hand we were dealt and we needed to respond better. Middle [Tenneessee] was the much better team today and we didn’t step up to the opportunity. I’m disappointed in our showing today but do believe there are plenty of things we need to and will learn from these challenges.”

Player Spotlight | Maya Bokunewicz

Playing in only her ninth career game, redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz was the bright spot for Rice women’s basketball on Friday. She exploded for 20 points, a career-high, propelled by four made three-pointers. Her 41.9 percent clip from deep leads the team, as does her 18 three-pointers made. She also added an assist and five rebounds. Altogether it was a promising day for the second-year player.

Stat Corner | One step too slow

There were plenty of numbers that did not paint Rice women’s basketball in a favorable light following this loss, but two stood out from the boxscore in particular, points in the paint and fast break points. Middle Tennessee almost tripled up Rice in the paint, outscoring the Owls 52-18. They also edged Rice 20- 3 in fast break points.

The paint problem is a nod to physicality. Whether it be exhaustion from a long layoff or too long of gap between seeing live action, Rice was a step slow when it came to protecting the paint. That followed through to the fastbreak as well. Middle Tennessee was ready; Rice wasn’t.

The men exhibited a similar lull last weekend against North Texas before bouncing back and defeating Middle Tennessee on Saturday. Hopefully, the women just needed to get their feet under them and will bounce back in a similar fashion.

Final Box | MTSU 87 – Rice 63

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has already had their next scheduled game against UAB postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the Blazers’ program. A replacement game was contemplated, but as of now, it seems likely the Owls will march forward as their current schedule dictates. That would mean home games against Western Kentucky (Thursday) and Marshall (Saturday) next time out.

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2021-2022 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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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.

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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.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls hit reset button entering 2021-2022 season

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The Rice women’s basketball team is going to look different this season. With the coaching transition comes an unusually high level of roster turnover.

Things are going to look different at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. The departure of former Rice women’s basketball head coach Tina Langley for Washington sent shockwaves through the Owls’ roster. Rice acted quickly, filling the vacated position with former NC State assistant Lindsay Edmonds, but at that point, the proverbial cats were out of their bags.

In the span of a few months, four of the Owls’ five starters left the program.

Thrust into a suddenly more strenuous position than originally expected, Edmonds summed it up rather succinctly, “it’s been a whirlwind.”

Transfers are common when coaching transitions happen in college athletics. Players, understandably, share a loyalty to the coach that recruited them. Others take the opportunity to look around at their alternatives, possible for the first time. Rice saw the ripple effects of both of those scenarios.

Edmonds did what she could to keep that talent from flocking away from South Main. “The roster turnover is definitely not something that I anticipated or wanted to happen,” she said. “I fought really hard to keep them.” Unfortunately for the Owls, several chose to move on.

On the way out

Nancy Mulkey, who was eligible for the WNBA Draft, pulled her name out at the last minute. Rather than go pro, she opted to follow Langley to Washington. Also joining her former coach at a later date was forward Lauren Schwartz. Unfortunately, there were more.

Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith both decided to transfer to SMU. And just like that, Rice had lost their head coach and four of their five starting players in the span of a few short months. Katelyn Crosthwait is the lone starter who opted to remain at South Main along with Edmonds, now tasked with rebuilding a roster.

On the way in

Rice women’s basketball added one transfer to the mix, Alexis Stover, who transfers to Rice from Wright State. She averaged 2.1 points per game with the Raiders in her senior season and started 45 games across her two seasons there after beginning her career with one season at Ohio. Now one of the most veteran players on the roster, Edmonds is hopeful Stover’s experience will pay dividends for the Owls.

Joining the Owls from the high school ranks are Malia Fisher and Trinity Gooden. Both signed with Rice last winter and were recruited by Langley and her staff. Still, have the potential to play meaningful roles in the years to come.

The new-look roster

The losses were tough, but in time, seems to have reoriented herself to the new reality and her new roster. “The ones that are here and wanted to be here with us are here, and that’s what we’re gonna roll with,” she said rather resolutely.

Rounding out the rest of the roster are juniors Haylee Swayze and Arianna McCurry, sophomores India Bellamy, Ashlee Austin, Destiny Jackson and Crosthwait plus redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz. At this time, Edmonds says this is likely the roster they’ll go to battle this season.

The roster, as is, sits at 10 members, a thin collection in a typical season without potential COVID-19 challenges to wrestle with. The 2022 class should be a sizable one. But the Owls have to get there first.

Undeterred, Edmonds is eagerly embracing the task at hand. Her last several months have been spent building relationships, on and off the court, with current members of the team. For her, that’s brought a sense of normalcy back to the process.

“I’m really excited about the ones that are here,” she reiterated. “The numbers aren’t nearly as high as I would like them to be, but I think everyone that is on the roster can do something to help us this season.”

The reality is this team is going to look different, very different. But just like Langley inherited an unrefined product and turned it into an NCAA Tournament caliber team, Edmonds will have her own shot to build this roster. And it’ll happen from the ground up.

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2020-2021 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2020-2021 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad aiming for a third-straight conference title.

It feels like so long ago since Tina Langley and the Rice women’s basketball team stood awkwardly on the court in Frisco, Tx prior to their Conference USA Conference Tournament game that never tipped off. The Owls had surged through the league for a second-consecutive regular-season title and were prepared to defend it, but the wave of COVID-19 cancelations stole that chance away.

Much has happened in the months that followed. Erica Ogwumike was selected in the WNBA Draft. And just this month, Rice signed a new class of freshmen. Finally, the longer than anticipated offseason is coming to an end.

The Coach – Tina Langley

There’s a reason Rice signed Tina Langley to a five-year contract extension prior to the beginning of last season. She’s built one of the most dominant programs across the breadth of Rice Athletics. She helped Rice earn its first-ever ranking in the AP Poll, led the team to an undefeated conference record two seasons ago continues to rewrite record books. As long as Langley is at South Main, this program is in good hands.

Last Season Snapshot

Rice saw a 30-game conference winning streak broken on the road against Old Dominion in overtime last February. The loss marked the first time the Owls had fallen to a conference opponent in longer than a calendar year.

Podcast: Erica Ogwumike talks Rice basketball career and abrupt ending

Undeterred, Rice would rally, setting up a winner-take-all matchup with those same Monarchs at Tudor Fieldhouse on the final day of the regular season. Rice beat Old Dominion that day, clinching the conference title and cutting down the nets on their home court. Rice finished the year 21-8 (16-2 C-USA).

Key Question

What does this team look like without Ogwumike? We saw a brief snippet of the team without their star guard on the floor last season and they faired well, but it’s one thing to make something work for a few games and another to be without such a potent scorer and ace rebounder for a full season. The sample we’ve seen suggests they’ll be just fine, but there could be an adjustment period as the team adapts.

The Schedule

Rice Women’s Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 25, 2020 – Season opener vs Houston Baptist at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 28, 2020 – First road game, at Little Rock
Dec. 20, 2020 – Owls visit Texas A&M at Reed Arena
Jan. 1, 2020 – Conference USA opener at UTSA
Jan. 8, 2020 – Conference USA home opener vs UTEP
Mar. 10, 2020 – Conference USA Tournament

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

Key Returners

Sydne Wiggins, Guard (Sr.)

Wiggins led Rice in minutes last season, starting all 29 games. She’s a dynamic shooter from the outside and a pesky defender. Her 1.7 steals per game ranked Top 10 in Conference USA. A senior, Wiggins will be a key leader for this team on and off the court, always playing with an infectious level of aggressiveness.

Jasmine Smith, Guard (Jr.)

Through two seasons, Smith has started every game of her Rice career. She’s a lockdown defender and a plus rebounder, frequently turning takeaways into easy opportunities for the Rice offense. Her enthusiasm and quickness on defense prevented even some of the conference’s best shooters from getting open looks from deep.

Nancy Mulkey, Center (Sr.)

When healthy, Mulkey is one of the most potent forces in women’s college basketball. When she’s on the court, she gives Rice an advantage that no other team in the conference can match. She’s improved on her touch inside and is really becoming a more well-rounded player as she enters her third season on South Main. She’s blocked 171 shots in 48 games in her Rice career.

Lauren Schwartz, Guard (So.)

Schwartz cracked the starting lineup for the Owls immediately upon her arrival at South Main last year. A member of the Conference USA All-Freshman team, her ability as a scorer and a facilitator on offense was crucial to the team’s success on that side of the court. She averaged 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. With Erica Ogwumike gone, Schwartz will be the primary ballhandler for Rice this season.

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Key names off the bench

Destiny Jackson, Guard (So.) – Saw the most playing time of the freshmen reserves last season. Shot .442 from the field and was a key contributed in the early parts of conference play.

Kendall Ellig, Center (Sr.) – Earned the backup center role and played well. She averaged 2.0 rebounds per game, playing at least 15 minutes in nine contests.

Haylee Swayze, Guard (Jr.) – Opened last season with 22 points off the bench against Nicholls St. Capable shooter off the bench that can rise to the occasion when her number is called.

Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (So.) – Impactful interior scorer who helped Rice defeat Old Dominion with a season-high 21 minutes and 11 points. Trustworthy defender and rebounder.

More names to know

Sophomore forwards India Bellamy and Ashlee Austin saw a large portion of their action in non-conference play last season, but each had moments during the conference slate where they were asked to come off the bench and play roles here and there. They should be involved in similar situations again this season with room for their playing time to grow.

Arianna McCurry will see some run as a reserve behind Nancy Mulkey and Kendall Ellig at center. Newcomer Maya Bokunewicz can play multiple positions. The 6-foot freshman received rave reviews from coach Langley in the offseason and should see the floor in some capacity early on, especially given how committed the Owls were to getting a much larger freshman class playing experience last fall.

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