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Rice Women’s Basketball: Shooting woes spoil defensive effort vs Charlotte

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Frenetic defense gave Rice Women’s Basketball a chance on Thursday against Charlotte, but a lack of scoring resulted in the Owls’ first AAC loss.

Points were at a premium on Thursday night as two of the AAC’s top five defensive teams squared off in Houston. A 12-12 score at the end of the first quarter proved to be a harbinger of things to come as Rice women’s basketball ran out of time in a gritty slugfest of a game against Charlotte at Tudor Fieldhouse.

It was that defense that kept Rice afloat, particularly in the first half. Rice shot 31.6 percent from the floor in the first half and made two of their 13 attempts from three. Despite the aid of six offensive rebounds and 18 forced turnovers in the first half alone — the 49ers’ average 18 turnovers per game — the Owls were unable to build much of a lead, going into halftime with a 27-25 advantage.

Not much changed in the second half. Charlotte out-shot Rice from the field and from three, but the 49ers’ turnovers gave Rice a 73-to-47 advantage in total field goal attempts. On sheer volume, the Owls were able to hang around for quite a while, even though the shots weren’t falling. Eventually, though, the lack of precision proved fatal.

“We were flying around. We were playing hard. It wasn’t about energy. It wasn’t about effort. It was simply about putting the ball in the basket more,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said.

Following a 7-0 Charlotte run to start the fourth quarter, Rice battled back to get the game within two before ending the contest 1-for-9 down the stretch. With the loss, Rice falls to 2-1 in AAC play.

Final Box | Charlotte 61 – Rice 54

What They’re Saying

“I didn’t think we were going to go undefeated in conference, but I want us to protect home at all times. You go on the road and you hope you can steal a couple, but we are normally good enough at home to win games. One-and-one with SMU and Charlotte, am i happy with that? Yeah. But I would have loved to be 2-0.” – Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds

Key takeaway | The exception, not the rule

Rice women’s basketball has historically shot the ball very well under head coach Lindsay Edmonds, particularly from deep. The Owls came into this game as the third best three-point shooting team in the AAC, but went 2-for-19 from long range. And it wasn’t as if the Owls were heaving up separation shots.

“They were good looks,” Edmonds agreed. “If you would have told me Dom [Ennis] was going to go 0f-or-6, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. If you told me DJ was going to have a hard time finishing on some layups I probably wouldn’t have believed you. I thought we had some really good, quality looks.”

It wasn’t a shot selection or a personnel problem. The best shooters don’t make every wide-open shot, but for the Owls’ top three-point shooters to strike out so many times in a game that went down to the wire stings. Edmonds noted the team hadn’t played a game in Tudor Fieldhouse in nearly a month.

Perhaps a bit more court time will help return the Owls’ stroke to normal. The defense was fantastic on Thursday. If the offense bounces back, the Owls should be just fine.

Up Next: vs USF (Sunday, Jan. 14)

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Rice Women’s Basketball tops SMU on buzzer beater

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Rice Women’s Basketball topped SMU at the buzzer to improve to 2-0 in American Conference play this season.

Coaches like to say defense travels. That old adage was certainly true for Rice women’s basketball on Sunday. Playing their first road contest as AAC members, Rice relied on their defense to build an early lead against SMU and set the stage for a 2-0 start in league play.

Rice held SMU to 25 percent shooting in the first half, turning the Mustangs over seven times before the halftime buzzer. That allowed the visiting Owls to take a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter and an eight-point lead at halftime, spurred by a balanced scoring effort from Destiny Jackson, Dominque Ennis and Emily Klaczek.

SMU was able to whittle the halftime deficit away in the opening minutes of the second half, setting up an incredible boxing match down the stretch with the teams trading blows (and the lead) into the final minutes. After Rice led for the vast majority of three quarters, the lead changed five times in the final five minutes. Malia Fisher came through with several big plays in those key moments.

After missing the potential go-ahead shot with 30 seconds to play, Rice was able to force a turnover on an SMU travel and retain possession. That paved the way for Destiny Jackson to wind through the SMU defense and hit the game-winning layup at the buzzer. The victory evens the all-time series record between these two programs. In 72 meetings, each team has won 36 times.

Final Box | Rice 65 – SMU 63

Key takeaway | Measuring stick moments

Rice women’s basketball was picked to finish third in the AAC in the preseason coaches poll. SMU was picked to finish fourth. Those prognostications from early October don’t mean much anymore with actual game results in hand and the conference standings beginning to take shape. However, after both teams labored through nonconference play, Rice is starting to get into a rhythm. SMU remains unbalanced.

Rice joins Charlotte and East Carolina as the lone unbeaten in Conference play thus far and Rice hosts Charlotte next weekend. As the Owls work to find their footing in their new conference every win serves to further legitimize their aspirations of becoming the top team in this league. Beating SMU alone won’t make Rice the frontrunners, but it’s a good next step against a quality opponent on the road.

Up Next: vs Charlotte (Thursday, Jan. 11)

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Rice Women’s Basketball tops Wichita State in AAC opener

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Forced to play away from home in their American Conference opener, Rice Women’s Basketball prevailed nonetheless, topping Wichita State at the Fertitta Center across town.

Rice women’s basketball did not open American Conference play under ideal circumstances. The Owls were forced to play their “home opener” just down the road at the Fertitta Center because of water damage to Tudor Fieldhouse over the holidays.

Makeshift visitors in their inaugural game in a new league, Rice took some time to get settled into their red-clad benches. The Owls and the true visitors, Wichita State, traded baskets and free throws throughout the first quarter. It wasn’t until the midpoint of the second frame that the Owls started to find their groove, opening an 11-point lead, only for the Shockers to whittle it back within one score at halftime.

Wichita State scored the first five points in the second half, but it was all Rice from that point onward. The Owls outscored the Shockers 20-8 through the rest of the third quarter, taking a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Dominque Ennis led the charge, scoring 11 of her 17 points after the break. She left the game with a minute remaining in regulation with an injury, souring an otherwise very encouraging night for the Owls.

Staked to a 10-point advantage entering the fourth, the margin waivered below 10 points on two brief occasions, but the Owls delivered clutch free throws and kept things from getting too interesting down the stretch. Despite some early jitters, Rice found a way to close out the “home” win away from Tudor Fieldhouse and move to 1-0 in AAC play.

Final Box | Rice 76 – Wichita State 64

Key takeaway | Making the right adjustments

Early on, Wichita State was able to hang around in this game because of their ability to capitalize on extra opportunities. They outrebounded Rice 24-20 and edged Rice 10-5 in second-chance points, netting 33 percent of their first half scoring after their first shot failed. That’s an exorbitant amount of extra chances and something the Owls simply could not let continue if they were going to win this game.

Not only did Rice do a better job on the boards in the second half, 17-14 in their favor, but they stonewalled Wichita State in those second half opportunities. The Shockers had zero second-chance points in the second half, allowing that double-digit point differential that was bypassed in the first half to flow in earnest after the halftime buzzer. Without the extra opportunities, the Shockers couldn’t keep pace with the Owls.

The teams that strive to compete well into March can make those sorts of adjustments. Wednesday’s win was another step in the right direction for a Rice women’s basketball team that hopes to do just that.

Up Next: at SMU (Sunday, Jan. 7)

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2023

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2023 was filled with highs and lows for Rice Athletics. The Roost picked out 10 moments that stood out the most along the way.

10. Rice women’s basketball beats BYU in WNIT

Getting back to the postseason was something near the top of the priority list for head coach Lindsay Edmonds and Rice women’s basketball. Not only did the Owls achieve that, qualifying for the NIT, but they were able to go on the road and get a win over a very good BYU team.

9. Forbes named Top 30 NCAA Women of the Year Award

Forbes was on pace to be one of the most decorated women’s track athletes ever to run for Rice before sickness abruptly ended her collegiate career. An excellent student an ambassador for the university, seeing Forbes continue to receive honors well after her athletic career had come to an end was extraordinary and much deserved.

8. Rice football inks another historic signing class

For the fourth time in the past five years Rice football head coach Mike Blomgren signed the No. 1 recruiting class in program history. Despite only adding 13 players in this cycle, the Owls made sure their limited scholarship slots were well utilized, bringing in a Texas-centric crop of high school athletes with five impactful transfers.

7. Field Athlete of the Year, times two

One of the final Conference USA honors before Rice made the move to the AAC, the Owls claimed not one, but two Field Athlete of the Year awards. Alexander Slinkman took home the men’s honor for his prowess in the pole vault. Tara Simpson-Sullivan took care of the women’s side of things, dominating the weight and hammer throw events.

6. Rice baseball has three players drafted

Justin Long (7th Round), Hayden Durke (13th) and Matthew Linskey (16th) heard their names called in the 2023 MLB Draft. While the Owls work to return to their winning history at Reckling Park, it’s encouraging to see the pro pipeline continue to produce results.

5. Rice basketball upsets North Texas in Denton

North Texas and Grant McCasland had been the standard in Conference USA for years and Rice basketball hadn’t faired well against the Mean Green, losing 10 of the last 11 by an average of 25 points. To win, and to win by double-digits on the road, was one of the most significant victories of head coach Scott Pera’s tenure.

4. Rice Volleyball beats USC

There have been a lot of high points for Rice volleyball under head coach Genny Volpe, but few individual matches were as impressive as a win over No. 22 USC in straight sets. It was the first sweep of ranked team for Rice since 2009 and the fans in Tudor Fieldhouse had the arena rocking the whole way.

2. Rice football goes bowling once again

Although the results of the SERVPRO First Responders Bowl left much to be desired, reaching back-to-back bowl games is a feat that has only happened on two other occasions in program history. The next step will be finding a way to win and seeing if the Owls can improve their win total once again — but those are questions for 2024.

2. Tommy McClelland named Athletic Director

Following the departure of Joe Karlgaard for the private sector, Rice president Reginald Desroches named Tommy McClelland the Owls’ newest Athletic Director. McClelland has already bolstered the athletic staff and discussed potential renovation projections at Rice Stadium. Having someone with his track record to guide Rice into the AAC will be crucial for all the Owls’ programs.

1. Rice football upsets Houston, wins Bayou Bucket

For the first time since 2010, Rice football won the Bayou Bucket, defeating rival Houston in overtime. The win would eventually become crucial for the Owls’ bowl eligibility hopes and serve as the only Power 5 win by any American Conference team in the regular season. This singular victory will go down as one of the most impactful wins for Rice football in quite some time.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Cutting this down to 10 was challenging. Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Rice Women’s Basketball: 2023-2024 New Year’s State of the Program

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Rice women’s basketball has battled through a rocky non-conference start. Here’s where the Owls stand with American Conference play ahead.

Unlike a season ago when Rice women’s basketball powered through nonconference play undefeated, the Owls have had to earn every win to start their 2023-2024 campaign. There’s been good, bad and everything in between and there isn’t any time to take a breather. The first AAC games in program history are right around the corner, whether Rice is ready for them or not.

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Rice women’s basketball entered this season with high expectations in league play. Can they still reach those? And what do they need to do, if anything to get back on track as conference play begins? Let’s dig in.

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