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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls drop heavyweight fight vs No. 5 Texas A&M

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Rice Women’s Basketball took No. 5 Texas A&M down to the wire, falling a single point short in front of a packed crowd at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday.

There was no trepidation in the Owls’ eyes when No. 5 Texas A&M took the court at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday. Rice Women’s Basketball had missed the chance for revenge against these same Aggies last March, falling in overtime to Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted in College Station.

The Aggies scored first before Rice punched back behind a pair of baskets from Sydne Wiggins. An 8-5 lead wasn’t overly significant in the grand scheme of this 40-minute contest, but it calmed this team down and reminded them that they could play with this team, and play at this level.

More: Takeaways from Rice football’s win over MTSU

Led by Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M grabbed a 10 point lead and held the Owls at bay through the first half. Rice did most of their scoring from the free-throw line, unable to crack the rigid Aggie defense. Ferocious defense, led by Jasmine Smith kept Rice in the game. The sophomore guard came up big, drawing a charge in the final seconds before halftime prior to a Haylee Swayze three.

Trailing 36-27 at half, Rice began to pick up the pace. The defense was suffocating and the offense took advantage of their opportunities. Rice outscored their opponent 24-13 in the third quarter, clinging to a 53-49 lead at the start of the final frame.

What transpired next felt like a battle of heavyweights. It didn’t feel like C-USA vs SEC. It felt like two elite powers grappling for a resume-boosting win. Rice took a one-point lead on a layup by Erica Ogwumike in the final 24 seconds. A Texas A&M three-pointer hit iron and rattled out, but it would be the Aggies who secured the rebound and the game-winning putback.

Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey combined for 17 points. A few days removed from setting the school single-game record for blocks, Mulkey had just three swats against the Aggies. With their biggest stars held somewhat in check, the rest of the team stepped up.

Tina Langely wasn’t surprised. “Every player right now is learning that when your number is called you just have to be aggressive,” she said, crediting players the collective effort of the team who fought to the very end.

Player of the game

The loss of sharpshooter Nicole Iademarco from last year’s team left a hole in the Owls’ offensive scheme. Someone was going to have to step up and make those threes to open things up for the rest of the team’s versatile scoring options. When Rice Women’s Basketball took the court for the first time this season, freshman Lauren Schwartz was among the starting five.

Schwartz had 11 points in her first collegiate game against Nicholls St. That was a good start. But when the lights were brightest — like they were Sunday against the No. 5 team in the nation — Schwartz caught fire. She had 12 points in the third quarter alone, making two three-pointers, two more from the field and two foul shots.

“It’s not really all about me. It’s all about the team,” Schwartz said. “I couldn’t have got those open shots without the team passing the ball and making plays.” Those open shots led to a career-high 19 points and gave Rice a chance in the final moments. Three games into her collegiate career, Schwartz is shaping up to be an impactful addition to the Owls’ already potent lineup.

Up Next

The Owls will hit the road next week for a two-game stretch away from Tudor Fieldhouse. They play at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2:00 p.m. before a Wednesday battle at McNeese St on Nov. 27. That latter is scheduled to be a 12:00 p.m. tip.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: SMU upset sours Nancy Mulkey’s record game

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A record-setting outing by Nancy Mulkey was not enough to stave off upset-minded SMU who were able to hand Rice Women’s Basketball their first loss.

Nobody said it would be easy. After rolling through their first two opponents (Nicholls St and Little Rock), Rice Women’s Basketball hit the road to take on SMU. The Mustangs weren’t supposed to the big test — that was to come on Sunday against Texas A&M. But the Owls found out the hard way that every opponent they’ll face is going to be primed for an upset.

Rice started slowly, going 1-for-11 from the field with nine turnovers in the first quarter. Their ever-ready defense kept the Owls in the game, holding SMU to 10 points in the first frame. Then the Owls fired back, outscoring the home team 18-7 in the second quarter, including a 14-0 run to close out the half.

The two teams traded punches throughout the second half. Neither team had a great shooting day, with both teams finishing below 30 percent from the floor. SMU would make the ones that counted the most, including a pair of rim-rattling free throws to extend their lead to 50-43 with 43 seconds to play. The Owls had nothing left in the tank, falling on the road by a final score of 55-43.

Player of the Game

Nancy Mulkey put together a record-breaking performance in defeat. She single-game record with 11 blocks on her way to becoming the second Rice women’s basketball player to ever record a triple-double. In addition to the 11 blocks, Mulkey also tallied 11 rebounds and 15 points.

Mulkey and Ogwumike combined for 11 of the Owls’ 14 made baskets and 32 of the team’s 43 points. The supporting cast didn’t offer much support on a disappointing night for a program that had set much higher expectations for themselves than this.

Up Next

The Owls don’t have any time to feel sorry for themselves. They’ve got plenty still to play for, including their biggest game of the year upcoming. On Sunday, they host No. 5 Texas A&M at Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. A win in that game would quickly put this loss in the rearview mirror as they prepare for a full schedule ahead of them.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls cruise past Little Rock

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Rice Women’s Basketball cruised past Little Rock, an NCAA Tournament team last season, behind a big day from senior guard Erica Ogwumike.

Little Rock and Rice Women’s Basketball are no strangers to each other. The two teams have met on the hardwood in now three consecutive seasons, with Rice completing the three-year, three-game sweep on Saturday. The win improved the Owls’ record to 2-0 this season.

The Rice defense was suffocating for much of this contest, allowing 10 points in the first quarter and nine points in the second. Little Rock managed 31 percent shooting from the floor in the first half. That defensive performance, combined with a 10-17 start from inside the three-point line, helped propel the Owls to a 36-19 halftime lead. They never looked back, winning by a final score of 66-40.

More: 2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball season preview

The big lead afforded Rice another opportunity to give their incoming freshmen extended action. All 14 players saw action again on Saturday including another strong shooting day from Lauren Schwartz, who finished with eight points and three rebounds.

“I’m really excited about the way we’re coming together,” head coach Tina Langley said following the win. “I think there’s a lot of new faces on the floor, a lot of pieces to try to figure out how they fit together and I like the way we’re communicating.”

Player of the Game

Like Rice, Little Rock won their conference tournament a season ago, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Although this was a battle of two March-tested teams, the Owls proved their mettle early, extending an early lead behind the incredible play of senior guard Erica Ogwumike.

For Ogwumike, it didn’t matter that center Nancy Mulkey picked up some early fouls and only played 20 minutes. A deep bench, already heavily utilized in the Owls’ season opener, was more than enough support for an outstanding showing on both ends of the court.

The big game was a reinforcement of the improvement coach Langley has seen Ogwumike make during the offseason. “The neat thing about Erica [Ogwumike] is that she plays as a playmaker. She can create for her teammates or she can progressively find ways to score,” Langely said. “She’s an elite-level scorer and sees the floor really well.”

On Saturday, Ogwumike scored the last eight points of the first half, turning a nine-point Rice advantage into a 17-point lead at halftime. She kept piling in on in the second half, finishing with a game and season-high 23 points and nine rebounds.

Up Next

The next time Rice Women’s Basketball takes the court, it will be in Dallas for their first road game of the season. The Owls visit SMU on Wednesday, Nov. 13 for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff. Last year the Owls defeated the Mustangs 66-52.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls blow past Nicholls St in season opener

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Nicholls St scored the first two points before Rice Women’s Basketball slammed the door in an emphatic season-opening rout at Tudor Fieldhouse.

In many ways, the beginning of the 2019-2020 Rice Women’s basketball season began just as last season had ended. It took less than five minutes of play before Nancy Mulkey had a block and Erica Ogwumike had a basket and bucket. A 2-0 Nicholls St lead evaporated quickly, with Rice outscoring the Colonels 17-6 throughout the remainder of the first quarter.

The Owls used their trademark suffocating defense to make their early double-digit lead feel insurmountable. They held Nicholls St to 27.8 percent shooting from the field in the first half. By half, they’d more than doubled up their opponent.

More: 2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball season preview

From there it was clockwork for the Owls, who had already turned quickly to their young bench. Freshmen Lauren Schwartz, Destiny Jackson, Katelyn Crosthwait, India Bellamy, Ashlee Austin and Arianna McCurry made their collegiate debuts, with Schwartz earning a starting nod. Every player on the roster saw action, 12 scored and 12 registered at least one rebound. Rice would go on to win by a final score of 71-41.

“We hoped that we could come out and get out to a good lead and make sure we got an opportunity to see everyone together in different lineups,” head coach Tina Langley said after the game.” It was good to have that opportunity today.”

Player of the Game

Prior to the beginning of the season, Erica Ogwumike was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list which honors the best shooting guard in the nation. Nancy Mulkey was named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, honoring the best center. We knew those two stars were going to shine bright for Rice Women’s Basketball this season. What we didn’t know for sure, was who would step up to join them.

Sophomore guard Haylee Swayzee would like to throw her hat into the ring. Swayze was eighth on the team in minutes played last season, averaging 4.3 points per game with 22 three-pointers. She did much more than that in her first action of the 2019-2020 season. On Tuesday, she knocked down four shots from deep and led the team with 22 points.

“It was really fun,” Swayze said of her big night before pivoting to her supporting cast. “I think we’ve done a really good job of playing together as a team, we’ve really embraced our “Go Together” [motto] this year,”

If the Owls can add some outside shooting to their one-two punch on the interior, this is going to be a very scary team come March.

Up Next

Rice Women’s Basketball gets one more home game before their first trip away from South Main. They host Arkansas Little Rock on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. It’ll be a double-header for Rice fans. The men play their home opener following the conclusion of the women’s contest at 3:30 p.m.

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2019-2020 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2019-2020 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. Here’s a rundown of the Owls’ squad bent on returning to the NCAA Tournament this season.

The last time the Rice women’s basketball team took the court they left it with a sour taste in their mouths. The Owls led Marquette in a first round NCAA Tournament game by nine points with minutes left in regulation. Rather than advance to the next round, a rematch with the Texas A&M Aggies, the Owls faltered and saw their storybook season end in overtime.

There has been plenty of time for soul searching since that game. A new season is right around the corner, one which this team hopes will end much later in March than the last. Here’s a bit more on the coach, the players, the roster, and what to expect from this team in 2019 and beyond.

The Coach – Tina Langley

Upon the completion of last season, Rice signed Langley to a five-year extension. The reigning Conference USA coach of the year led the Owls to their first-ever ranking in the AP and Coaches Poll, a perfect regular season in conference play and set program records with 21 consecutive wins and 28 total victories in a season.

Rice women’s basketball has been on the upswing since Langley took over prior to the 2015-2016 season. The Owls have seen their overall win total and conference win totals increase each subsequent season, finishing last season with a sterling 28-4 record. As long as Langley is at the helm, the future for Rice women’s basketball remains extremely bright.

Last Season Snapshot

With center Nancy Mulkey sidelined by injury, Rice lost their first two games of the 2018-2019 season to No. 20 Texas A&M and No. 23 UCLA. Following their 0-2 start, the team won 28 of their next 29 games. A road loss to North Carolina in mid-December was their only blemish during the remainder of the regular season.

More: Rice Men’s Basketball Season Preview

Rice won all 16 of their conference games, only one of which was decided by less than 10 points. The Owls stayed perfect in three Conference USA Basketball Tournament games, rallying to take down Middle Tennessee to secure the Tournament Championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, their first trip to the Big Dance in 14 years.

The Schedule

Rice Women’s Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 5, 2019 – Season opener vs Nicholls State
Nov. 17, 2019 – Owls host Texas A&M at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 23, 2019 – Owls visit Oklahoma State
Dec. 20-21, 2019 – 2019 Puerto Rico Classic vs Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech
Jan. 2, 2020 – Conference USA opener vs Marshall
Feb. 22, 2020 – Conference USA bonus play begins

You can find the complete 2019-2020 Rice basketball schedule here.

Projected Starters

PLAYER MP PTS TRB AST STL BLK
Erica Ogwumike 32.4 16.5 10.5 2.7 1.6 0.3
Nancy Mulkey 26.3 13.9 5.8 1.3 0.7 3.9
Sydne Wiggins 28.5 6.9 2.5 2.4 1.0 0.2
Jasmine Smith 27.5 6.1 2.3 2.3 0.9 0.3
Haylee Swayze 13.1 4.3 1.6 0.4 0.3 0.3

The Returning Players

No. 2 – Sydne Wiggins, Guard (Jr.)

5-foot-11

A returning starter and one of the Owls’ foremost returning outside shooters, Wiggins was one four different players to make more than 20 shots from beyond the arc. She finished second on the team in steals, proving to be as dangerous without the ball in her hands as she was when she was knocking down shots.

No. 10 – Jasmine Smith, Guard (So.)

5-foot-7

The only freshman to start every game for Rice last season, Smith was a shutdown defender. Her efforts on opposing shooters helped the lead Owls’ to the No. 1 scoring defense in the conference, allowing 52.8 points per game. She frequently turned her defensive efforts into offensive successes and tied Wiggins with 30 steals.

No. 11 – Haylee Swayze, Guard (So.)

5-foot-11

Swayze was a prominent member of a promising freshman class who saw some action in 28 of 32 games, averaging 13.1 minutes per contest. After the five starters and sixth woman Lauren Grigsby, Swayze was one of the more active bench players for Rice last season. When she was called upon, she made a difference from behind the three-point line with 22 long-range buckets.

No. 13 – Erica Ogwumike, Guard (Sr.)

5-foot-9

Conference USA Female Athlete of the Year Erica Ogwumike was the catalyst on both ends of the court for this team last season. Since transferring to Rice from Pepperdine following the 2015-2016 season, Ogwumike has been nearly unstoppable at South Main. She tallied a double-double (18 times) more often than she didn’t and led the conference in rebounds. Her leadership and talent have been instrumental in the Owls’ recent success.

No. 21 – Arianna McCurry, Center (So.)

6-foot-6

McCurry saw most of her action before the Owls got into the heart of Conference USA action. She played a career-high 10 minutes against McNeese State and scored six points in five minutes against FAU, a game in which she also tallied a pair of blocks and three rebounds.

No. 23 – Alexah Chrisman, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-2

Chrisman saw most of her action as the primary backup to starting center Nancy Mulkey. Seven inches shorter than Mulkey, Chrisman wasn’t the same caliber shot blocker, but she provided a physical presence in the paint and was a trustworthy conduit for the offense and defense when Mulkey needed a breather.

No. 24 – Temi Alao, Center (So.)

5-foot-10

Injuries kept Alao from seeing the court as a true freshman, but she played in 18 games as a redshirt sophomore in the 2018-2019 campaign. The bulk of her involvement came at the beginning of the season, including a career-high 24 minutes against Texas A&M. She had three or more rebounds in nine appearances.

No. 25 – Kendall Ellig, Forward (Jr.)

6-foot-1

Ellig played a reserve role for the Owls last season, seeing a few minutes here and there throughout conference play. She played in 13 C-USA games, but never tallied more than nine minutes, playing less than three minutes seven times in those contests. She scored in four games and had a career-best four rebounds against FAU.

No. 32 – Nancy Mulkey, Center (Jr.)

6-foot-9

Mulkey is the tallest player in women’s college basketball. Every time she takes the court she gives Rice a mismatch no other team in the country can counteract. When healthy, Mulkey is the difference-maker that separates Rice from their competition, leading the NCAA in blocks per game and setting the school record with 94 blocked shots last season.

The New Additions

Rice signed five players in their 2019 recruiting class, which ranked first in Conference USA.

No. 3 – Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-10

Crosthwait averaged 24 points per game as a junior, one year removed from being named a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. She can shoot from close range and from distance and create opportunities for others with the basketball.

No. 5 – Destiny Jackson, Guard (Fr.)

5-foot-9

The only native Texan in the class, Jackson hails from Mansfield Texas. She was named to the 2018 UIL All-Tournament team following her senior season.

No. 12 – India Bellamy, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-1

A small forward out of McDonough, Georgia, Bellamy is can score from the wing and play great defense. She was the GACA South Junior All-Star MVP.

No. 15 – Lauren Schwartz, Forward (Fr.)

5-foot-11

Scwartz led her school to their first regional championship in program history, finishing the year with 29 victories. The MVP of Kentucky’s 9th region, Schwartz is an elite scorer with more than enough athleticism to win on the boards.

No. 22 – Ashlee Austin, Forward (Fr.)

6-foot-0

Austin averaged 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in her senior season. From Johns Creek, Georgia, she was the 2017-2018 Region 7-6A Player of the Year and an AJC First Team All-State selection.

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