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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs UTEP

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Rice Basketball is nearly a month into conference play. The women are undefeated and the men have one just once. Both teams take on UTEP next.

Rice Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

UTEP 11-8 (2-4), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 59-56 (L) at FAU
  • 76-64 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 64-61 (L) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 80-77 OT (W) vs UTSA
  • 86-70 (L) at UTSA

Rice 9-11 (1-6), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU
  • 92-78 (W) vs FIU
  • 72-56 (L) at LA Tech
  • 81-68 (L) at Southern Miss
  • 79-59 (L) at North Texas

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Bryson Williams – 19.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Bryson Williams – 6.9 per game
  • Assists | Jordan Lathon – 2.5 per game
  • Steals | Nigel Hawkins – 1.2 per game
  • Blocks | Bryson Williams – 0.9 per game

Rice keys to victory

In many ways, UTEP lives and dies at the hand of Bryson Williams. He’s second in the conference in scoring, averaging just below 20 points per game. When his shots are falling, everything seems to work itself out. UTEP is 9-3 when he shoots better than 50 percent from the field and 2-5 when he’s off the mark at least half the time. Rice hasn’t defended well in recent weeks. Focusing in on one player should give them a boost.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 8:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Don Haskins Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV

UTEP 11-4 (4-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 64-34 (W) vs FIU
  • 96-65 (W) vs FAU
  • 89-72 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 87-80 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 94-54 (W) vs UTSA

Rice 11-6 (6-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-69 (W) at FAU
  • 68-47 (W) at FIU
  • 60-47 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 75-64 (W) vs Southern Miss

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Katrina Zec – 13.3 per game
  • Rebounds | Ariona Gill – 8.2 per game
  • Assists | Katia Gallegos – 5.0 per game
  • Steals | Katia Gallegos – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Ariona Gill – 0.5 per game

Rice keys to victory

This will be by far the toughest test for Rice women’s basketball in conference play this season. The biggest question mark prior to this game is the status of Erica Ogwumike, which remains up in the air. She’s missed the past two games with an injury. If she’s back, her presence on the defensive glass and facilitating the offense will be huge. If she’s not, another big game from Nancy Mulkey or Sydne Wiggins would make a big difference on the road.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Southern Miss

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Rice Basketball is five games into conference play with the men 1-4 and the women 5-0. Both teams take on Southern Miss next. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Reed Green Coliseum
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Southern Miss 4-14 (0-5), Last 5 (0-5)

  • 80-49 (L) vs LA Tech
  • 78-50 (L) at LA Tech
  • 76-64 (L) at UTEP
  • 80-70 (L) at UTSA
  • 72-52 (L) vs North Texas

Rice 9-9 (1-4), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU
  • 92-78 (W) vs FIU
  • 72-56 (L) at LA Tech

Southern Miss statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Gabe Watson – 13.3 per game
  • Rebounds | Leonard Harper-Baker – 7.3 per game
  • Assists | Jay Malone – 4.0 per game
  • Steals | Leonard Harper-Baker – 1.8 per game
  • Blocks | Leonard Harper-Baker – 0.3 per game

Rice keys to victory

Southern Miss has plagued by poor offensive possessions all season. It’s not just a shooting issue — Southern Miss is middle of the pack there — it’s the turnovers. The Golden Eagles are 13th in C-USA in turnover margin and have just one game of fewer than 30 turnovers in their last eight contests. Rice will get opportunities. They’ll have to take advantage of them.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV

Southern Miss 11-4 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  •  71-59 (W) vs Faulkner
  • 66-60 (W) vs LA Tech
  • 89-72 (L) vs UTEP
  • 82-65 (W) vs UTSA
  • 66-57 (W) at North Texas

Rice 10-6 (5-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-69 (W) at FAU
  • 68-47 (W) at FIU
  • 60-47 (W) vs LA Tech

Southern Miss statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Shonte Hailes – 16.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Respect Leaphart – 5.5 per game
  • Assists | Daishai Almond – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Alarie Mayze – 2.3 per game
  • Blocks | Amber Landing – 1.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

The defensive end of the court will continue to be the bedrock of this team, especially if Erica Ogwumike sits another game — a distinct possibility. Southern Miss shoots the ball well but hasn’t played a team with the same level of intensity that Rice will bring on defense. North Texas was a good test for them. The Mean Green held the Golden Eagles to 65 points, their lowest total in C-USA play.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls top LA Tech with Ogwumike sidelined

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Rice Women’s Basketball was without their star guard but still managed to blow past Louisiana Tech. The Owls are a perfect 5-0 in Conference USA play.

Rice women’s basketball had won in a variety of ways on their way to a C-USA leading 24-game winning streak. They’d blown out countless teams and played close contests with others. But they’d never won without their best player on the court — they hadn’t had to.

The white and blue-clad Owls showed no timidity when they took the court without Erica Ogwumike on Thursday night against Louisiana Tech. The senior guard had suffered an injury against FIU that kept her sidelined against Louisiana Tech. She did not dress for the game and has no official timetable on her return. However, the expectation remains she’ll be back sooner rather than later.

If that wasn’t enough, the team was hit with sickness during the week. Rice dressed a half dozen players for their first practice of the week and had to send coaches and players home to rest. “We were barely able to practice,” head coach Tina Langely said postgame, not as an excuse, but as a credit to the performance her shorthanded squad had put together against a conference foe.

With Ogwumike out, there were some jitters. Rice had a few shot clock violations and lost possessions early on, clearly impacted by the loss of their primary ballhandler. What never wavered was their defense. Rice has now held 15 of their last 24 (and three of their last five) C-USA opponents to 50 points or fewer. Louisiana Tech shot a season-low 26 percent from the field.

“I love the pride that they take on the defensive end of the floor. I think it speaks to the character of our team.” Langely said. “Defense is about your heart and your effort and you don’t usually get a lot of credit from the defensive end of the floor as individuals. And you see our team really comes together and gives all that they have to defend well.”

That defense turned into just enough offense. Rice scored 13 points on fast breaks, relying on Jasmine Smith and Destiny Jackson to push the team down the court. Once the team stretched the lead to double digits at halftime, Louisiana Tech never got closer than eight for the remainder of the game.

Final Stats

Player of the game – Sydne Wiggins

On a night in which only two Owls reached double-digit points, it was the defensive performers who stood out. Nancy Mulkey registered her 200th career block and a career-best 15 rebounds, but it was the furious play of Sydne Wiggins that stood out the most. She was relentless on that side of the court, registering one steal, two blocks and plenty of headaches for the Owls’ opponent. Langley praised her focus, “She plays with such poise,” Langely said, “[She] has a great IQ. She brings so much to the court for us.” With Ogwumike on the bench, Wiggins was a much-needed energizer.

Up Next

Saturday they host Southern Miss with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Then the team gets a few days off before a Thursday/Friday road trip to play UTEP and UTSA.

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Rice Women’s Basketball 2020: Owls top FIU to complete road sweep

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Rice Women’s Basketball seems to have returned to form, coasting through another Conference USA win, besting FIU on the road.

When Rice women’s basketball blew out Marshall to start conference play, I asked the simple question: has Rice flipped the switch? Since then, Rice is 3-0 with victories by 8, 9 and now 21 points. Even in the closer games, the Owls had the game in the bag by the midpoint of the fourth quarter.

That was the case again on Saturday. FIU and Rice traded baskets in the first half with both teams shooting well from the floor. Then the third quarter came and Rice did what they do best, buckled down on defense and kept FIU off the board. The Panthers scored six points in the first quarter, limited to 11.8 percent shooting on 19 possessions. The Owls scored 23 points in the third to take a commanding lead, riding it to their 23rd consecutive C-USA win.

The win would have been a non-event had it not been for an injury in the third quarter to guard Erica Ogwumike. While handling the ball at the top of the key, she went down after some contact as she tried to penetrate into the paint. She was helped off the court and sat on the bench for a minute before being moved to the locker room.

Ogwumike was the preseason Conference USA player of the year and the team’s leading scorer. Her status moving forward will be closely monitored. Losing her for any length of time would be a huge blow to this team.

Final Stats

Player of the game – Jasmine Smith

A quiet star for Rice women’s basketball, Jasmine Smith continues to be incredibly consistent. In addition to scoring a team-high 12 points, she was crucial to the Owls’ success on both sides of the court. Her lock-down defense and team-leading six assists kept the team on schedule. Regardless of who else is on the court with her, Smith gives the same relentless effort.

Up Next

Rice went 2-0 on their road trip to Florida. Next, they return home for a two-game stretch at Tudor Fieldhouse. They’ll take on Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. Saturday they host Southern Miss with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Men and Women ready for FIU on Saturday

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Rice Basketball is three games into conference play with the men 0-3 and the women 3-0. Each seeks a win on Saturday against FIU. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FIU 11-5 (2-1), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 83-67 (W) at Stetson
  • 89-62 (L) at Minnesota
  • 69-67 (W) vs UTEP
  • 90-83 OT (W) vs UTSA
  • 74-56 (L) at North Texas

Rice 8-8 (0-3), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU

FIU players to watch

Devon Andrews will man the point of attack for the Panthers on Saturday. He’ll enter the game fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game. Andrews will be flanked  Osasumwen Osaghae, who is a rebound and a half shy of averaging a double-double this season. Osaghae leads C-USA with 68 blocks, 42 more than the runner up. Antonio Daye Jr will set the table at guard. He leads the team in assists.

Rice keys to victory

Rice has beaten themselves in their last three conference games just as much as their opponents have gotten the better of them. Playing 40 minutes of focused, controlled basketball has eluded this team. If Rice can keep things close and avoid a double-digit deficit at home, they’re capable of going on a few scoring runs and beating FIU. They’ll need to shoot better to do that; FIU leads C-USA in scoring with 80.4 points per game.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Ocean Bank Convocation Center
TV: C-USA TV

FIU 4-10 (1-2), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 58-56 (L) vs Austin Peay
  • 72-57 (L) vs Brown
  • 64-34 (L) at UTEP
  • 60-45 (L) at UTSA
  • 58-56 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 7-6 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-699 (W) at FAU

FIU players to watch

FIU is led by a trio of players: center Chelsea Guimaraes and guards Jiselle Thomas and Fujika Nimmo. All three are averaging roughly 10 points per game, with Guimaraes providing a steady presence inside. At 6-foot-3, she leads the team with 110 rebounds and 12 blocks.

Rice keys to victory

The FIU women rank dead last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 53.1 points per game. If Rice plays their brand of basketball, they’ll keep FIU from putting up too many points. The real battle will be on the other side of the court where a middle-of-the-pack FIU defense will try to limit a Rice offense that has been streaky at times.

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