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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTSA

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Rice basketball opens up conference play on New Year’s Day. Both the men and the women will play back-to-back games against UTSA.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+

UTSA 4-3 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 66-105 (L) at Oklahoma
  • 91-62 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 61-73 (L) at Oregon State
  • 102-70 (W) vs Our Lady of the Lake
  • 88-66 (W) vs Lamar

Rice 6-2 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 94-74 (W) vs LeTourneau
  • 86-64 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jhivvan Jackson – 17.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Jacob Germany – 6.6 per game
  • Assists | Keaton Wallace – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Eric Parrish – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Jacob Germany – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTSA can score. In year’s past, that’s meant Rice needs to match in a shot-for-shot slugfest to come out on top. As good as Quincy Olivari has been shooting, getting more production on the defensive side of the court is more likely to pay off than a high-scoring shootout against Jhivvan Jackson and Co.

For the season, Rice ranks 11th in Conference USA in defensive field goal percentage. If Rice can get that number from where it sits entering the weekend (.424) closer to .400, they’ll have a much better chance to beat UTSA. Balanced basketball will be key.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Convocation Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 1 – CUSAtv / Jan. 2 – Not televised

UTSA 2-3 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 80-37 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 50-60 (L) vs UT Rio Grande Valley
  • 63-69 (L) at Incarnate Word
  • 73-55 (W) vs Northwestern State
  • 47-71 (L) at Sam Houston State

Rice 4-1 (0-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 83-54 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) at Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 8.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.4 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 2.0 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Adryana Quezada – 16.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Adryana Quezada – 11.7 per game
  • Assists | Karrington Donald – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Mikayla Woods – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Mikayla Woods – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

To some extent, Rice women’s basketball is still test driving their rotations and setup for 2021. The Owls have looked extremely sharp on both sides of the court, coming a shot away from upending Top 10 Texas A&M.

Rice does an excellent job of adjusting to what the opponent gives them. So far, they haven’t had to find a consistent scoring threat outside of Nancy Mulkey. A few players have crossed the 15-point bar. Jasmine Smith led the team with 18 points against Texas A&M. Having someone else to go to in crunch time could really put this team over the top.

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2020

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2020 was filled with highs and lows on the home from, but Rice Athletics made the best of the tough year. Here are some of the most impactful moments.

10. Men’s Basketball upsets C-USA regular-season champion North Texas

Rice basketball started slow out of the gates in conference play this past March, falling to 1-7 with a home game against 8-1 North Texas entering the final month of the season. Not only did the Owls put up a fight, they knocked off the eventual regular season champs. Rice shot 53.6 percent from three and hit 15 triples, includes three apiece from Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and four from Ako Adams.

9. Football signs Top 5 C-USA recruiting class

You can read more about the recent signees in detail in our recruiting updates over on Patreon. In short, the 2021 Rice Football Signing Class edged out the 2020 class for the highest-rated class in program history. The Owls currently hold the No. 4 class in C-USA and a Top 100 class in the country with a few spots remaining before National Signing Day in February.

8. Women’s Track and Field wins C-USA Indoor Championship

For the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2009, the Rice women took home the gold in the C-USA Indoor Championships. Grace Forbes and Michelle Fokam helped spur the Owls victory. Head coach Jim Bevan was recognized afterward as the Coach of the Year.

7.  Swimming top Tulane in duat meet

In their only home meet of the fall, Rice swimming emerged with a win. The Owls were dominant in the pool in the two-day meet, winning 15 of 21 events, including 400-freestyle relay. Rice set a facility record in the event, closing out the meet with a resounding 245-146 final score.

6. Women’s Basketball avenges Old Dominion loss

The Rice women’s basketball team saw a 30-game conference winning streak snapped on the road against Old Dominion. It was only fitting the Owls closed out the regular season with a rematch against the Monarchs. The game marked the final time senior Erica Ogwumike took the court for the Owls, making the victorious sendoff that much sweeter.

5. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Title

The women’s cross country squad only made one appearance this fall, but Grace Forbes made it count. The sophomore left her competition in the dust, crossing the finish line with no foes in sight. Her strong showing propelled the Owls to a fourth place finish in the meet.

4. Erica Ogwumike selected in WNBA Draft

The Ogwumike family name had already become a mainstay in WNBA circles before Erica Ogwumike played her final season at South Main. Her sisters, Nneka and Chiney, were both No. 1 overall selections. Erica went from off draft boards to becoming a third round pick of the New York Liberty, which was then traded to the Minnesota Lynx. Ogwumike said she was just grateful to hear her named called.

3. Women’s Basketball win’s second consecutive regular season title

Not only did Rice get revenge when they beat Old Dominion to close out the regular season this spring, they clinched their second consecutive regular season championship. The Owls were the favorites to cut down the nets in the conference tournament and to make a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament before COVID-19 concerns forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season.

2 Jack Fox named to NFL Pro Bowl

Released by the Chiefs last season, Fox signed a futures contract with the Detroit Lions in the offseason and won the Lions’ starting punting job in camp. From that point on, he took the NFL by storm. Fox led the NFL in most key measures for most of the season before being named to his first Pro Bowl. He’s the 12th Owl to earn a spot on a Pro Bowl roster and the first since fellow specialist Chris Boswell in 2017.

1. Rice Football shuts outs No. 15 Marshall

Rice football hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent in more than two decades when they made the trip to a cold Huntington, WV on Dec. 5 to play a then undefeated No. 15 Marshall squad. Not only did Rice win, they shut out The Herd, forcing five interceptions on their way to the upset win, a marquee victory for Rice. The Owls became the first team in 206 games to shut out Marshall at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Rice Basketball: Early season men’s and women’s roundup

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Thanksgiving marked the beginning of Rice basketball. Here’s a quick check-in on how both teams are doing so far on the court.

Rice Basketball

The 2020-2021 season has gotten of to a great start for Rice basketball. The men’s team replaced more than half of their roster during the offseason and were limited compared to their typical offseason routine. It was going to take some time to work out the kinks.

“Look, we’re all trying to find our way. We’re trying to see who the gamers are,” head coach Scott Pera said following the Owls’ home opener against Houston Baptist. Rice is now 4-0 for the first time since 2011, something that bodes well for the future.

The start is encouraging, but to some extent, it’s more encouraging to see this team come together as quickly as they have. “It’s important to play good basketball,” Pera said, “So yeah, we’re happy to win.”

Results (4-0)

  • 68-53 (W) Incarnate Word
  • 103-64 (W) Our Lady of the Lake
  • 94-74 (W) Le Tourneau
  • 86-54 (W) Houston Baptist

Statistical leaders

What’s next?

Rice basketball get their biggest test of the season next Saturday at the Fertitta center against a ranked Houston team. The Owls traded blows with the Cougars from start to finish last season before Houston got hot down the stretch and won the game.

Beating Houston would put Rice decidedly ahead of their on-the-fly roster shakeup, but even without a win, the Owls can learn a lot about who they are and how far they have to go against Houston next weekend.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball was only two games into their season when they encountered their first COVID-19 cancelation. The UT-Arlington game was scrapped at the last minute due to a pause with the Mavericks’ program. The Owls deserve credit for their quick response, adding a game with Texas Tech on the fly.

Not only did Rice beat Texas Tech, they won in dominant fashion. Rice hit 12 three-pointers, held Tech to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and never trailed from start to finish. The win marked the first for Rice over a Power 5 program since beating Texas A&M in 2006.

For head coach Tina Langley, getting back on the court is a welcome respite from the hectic offseason. “We’re just so grateful to everybody who’s put in so much work so that we could play,” she said. “It was such a joy to take the port together. And I’m so proud of these young women.”

Results (3-0)

  • 83-54 (W) Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) Texas Tech

Statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 13.3 points per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.7 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.3 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.7 per game

What’s next?

Rice women’s basketball will have two more home games (Dec. 11 against Texas Southern and Dec. 16 against Louisiana) before hitting the road for their most important game of the season. They visit Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Dec. 20.

Their battle with the Aggies came down to the final possession a year ago. Texas A&M lost Chennedy Carter to the WNBA draft while Rice lost Erica Ogwumike. This year’s game is going to look different without either of those guards on the court, but the impact of a Rice win remains just as significant.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls fly past HBU to kick off 2020 season

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Rice Women’s Basketball prevailed over HBU in their season opener, providing some familiarity following an offseason of twists and turns.

2020 has been a strange year for all of us, which is why it was so encouraging to see regain some semblance of normalcy on Wednesday afternoon when the Rice Women’s Basketball team tipped off its season. The ever-reliable Owls took care of business against HBU, going on to a fairly comfortable victory before a crowd-less Tudor Fieldhouse.

Rice was led by a dominant effort by center Nancy Mulkey and the reliable facilitation of Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith. 10 players saw action for the Owls, who outrebounded the Huskies 54-35 and led for more than 33 of the 40 minutes of action. In a year where so little has made sense, Rice delivered a familiar opening stanza to begin the season 1-0.

Head coach Tina Langley was proud of her team’s efforts. “I think everybody has really been working incredibly hard. From player to player we feel confident that we can put them in and they can give us good minutes right now,” she said.

Mulkey won the opening tip, setting up an easy lay-in for Katelyn Crosthwait. HBU would rally behind some early threes before Rice took the lead on a steal-and-score by sophomore Lauren Schwartz in the second quarter. From that point, it was all Owls who ran away from the Huskies to win by a final score of 83–54. The Owls topped their best point total from last season, an 82-59 win over UTEP.

As good as the Owls were in their opener, Langley knows the best is yet to come. “We still have a lot to learn,” she said, “I can’t wait to see who we’re going to become because you can see their commitment level and the way we’ve been practicing, we’re going to get a lot better all season.”

Final Stats

Player of the Game – Nancy Mulkey

It was a banner day for Mulkey, who delivered an exclamation point on the Owls’ win with her first career three-point shot (and make) in the third quarter. She’d worked on that aspect of her game during the offseason and was ready to take the shot when she finally had her moment.

Coach Langley was happy for Mulkey’s achievement, but said her senior center’s impact goes well beyond that singular attempt. “I think she’s doing a tremendous job of understanding her ability as an offensive weapon for us,” Langley said,”And she can shoot the three. She can take it off balance and she can score in the low post. She can just do so many things well. Nancy Mulkey’s a pro and she’s going to show that this season.”

That shot was one small part of a 23-point, 13-rebound performance — her fourth double-double of her Rice career.

Up Next

Rice women’s basketball won’t return to Tudor for another two weeks. In the meantime, they’ll travel to Arkansas for a 2 p.m. Saturday game against Little Rock. The short road trip concludes Dec. 2 at UT Arlington, tip off scheduled for 5 p.m. Both games are scheduled to air on ESPN+.

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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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