The source for Rice sports news

WBB: 2019 Regular season by the numbers

By

It’s been a season to remember for Rice women’s basketball. Here are seven numbers that help tell the story of how impressive the Owls have been.

0

Losses against Conference USA opponents. Rice’s perfect run marks only the third time a women’s team has reached 16-0 in Conference USA, a feat most recently achieved by Houston in the 2010-2011 season. The only current CUSA squad to achieve perfection was UTEP who did it back in 2007-2008.

16

Double-doubles recorded by Owls’ leading scorer Erica Ogwumike. She’s averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds a game this season — a double-double. She’s been held under double-digit points just twice in conference play.

18

Consecutive victories for the Rice team, tied for the second longest streak in the nation. Already the longest such streak in school history, it could be extended with the conference tournament and other postseason games remaining.

19.2

Margin of victory for Rice in conference play. A perfect record would have been impressive by itself, but the level of dominance Rice has exhibited in their victories has been nothing short of incredible. One of the Owls’ 16 conference games has been decided by single digits and Rice has led by more than 40 points in conference games this season.

52.7

Points per game allowed by the Owls this season. Not only does that lead Conference USA, it ranks in the top 10 of the nation. Put in starker context, No. 1 Baylor averages 54.2 points per game allowed. Conference USA hasn’t seen a team this effective on the defensive side of the floor in this decade.

73

Blocks by center Nancy Mulkey who was the most terrifying defender in the paint in the conference. She had more blocks by herself than four different CUSA teams, edging out the next highest blocker, Marie Benson, by 34 blocks. Benson had 39.

93

Highest point total of the season for Rice. It came in a game against McNeese State in the early portion of non conference play. As elite of a defense group as this is, they can still light it up with strong shooting performances, too.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

WBB: Owls beat LaTech to cap off perfect home campaign

By

Rice women’s basketball has secured an undefeated season at Tudor Fieldhouse, besting Louisiana Tech for their 13th consecutive home victory.

15-0 in conference play. 17 consecutive games won. It’s been a good year for Rice women’s basketball. In front of 2,606 onlookers, the largest home crowd in program history, Rice won their most recent game against Louisiana Tech, 78-42. The 36 point margin marked the largest victory of the season for No. 24 Rice, surpassing a 34-point win over UTEP.

The victory capped off a perfect 13-0 record at home this season which began with five wins in non-conference play before being followed by eight straight home wins against CUSA foes. It also marks more than a calendar year since Rice has fallen at home, last losing to this Louisiana Tech team on March 1, 2018.

Louisiana Tech had precious minutes to ponder the possibility of an upset, trailing Rice 5-4 early in the first quarter. The Owls would go on an 11-0 run to close the first frame, seizing a double-digit lead and never looking back. They held Louisiana Tech to 27.1 percent shooting from the field. None of their players reached double-digits in any statistical category.

Along with five assists, Erica Ogwumike recorded her 16th double-double of the season (18 points, 14 rebounds). Nicole Iademarco was lethal from deep once more, draining six of her eight three-point attempts for 18 points. Nancy Mulkey and Lauren Grigsby added 11 points and 12 points, respectively.

Rice held every conference opponent to fewer than 55 points at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. Saturday’s win over Louisiana Tech was the sixth consecutive game Rice has won by double-digits. In many ways, it was just another day in the office for this team, which has redefined the standard of excellence, both at South Main and beyond.

Up Next

All that stands between Rice and a perfect Conference USA campaign is a road game against UTSA on Thursday. The Owls defeated the Roadrunners at Tudor Fieldhouse 85-54 in mid-January. Rice will put their 17 game winning streak up against a team which has lost 10 of the last 11 prior to their Saturday game against Southern Miss.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

WBB: No. 25 Owls lock up regular season CUSA Title

By

Rice women’s basketball turned a third quarter deficit into their 16th consecutive victory, coming from behind to defeat North Texas and clinch the regular season CUSA Title.

For the first time since joining Conference USA, Rice women’s basketball are regular season conference champions. The Owls last achieved a regular season title in 2005 while members of the WAC, the only other conference title in program history.

To do it, Rice needed to stage a comeback. Trailing by three at halftime, the deficit grew to as many as seven before Rice thundered back. Nancy Mulkey led the charge with 24 points and three blocks. Nicole Iademarco connected on three triples and Erica Ogwumike grabbed six rebounds, three on the offensive glass. It was another all-around team effort, something Rice has come accustom to in recent weeks. They’d win by a final margin of 59-47.

Winning the regular season conference title secures Rice the top seed throughout the conference tournament. The first round bye is a plus, but the path beyond that is less important; the Owls’ resume speaks for itself. If they’re able to cut through their first batch of postseason games like they’ve been able to cruise through conference play, they’ll secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Then the dance begins.

There are two kinds of teams the blue blood programs don’t want to face in the NCAA Tournament. Red-hot three-point shooting squads are scary — look at what 16-seed UMBC did to 1-seed Virginia on 12 made three-pointers while shooting 50 percent from deep. The second team is the defensive juggernaut: that’s Rice.

Defense travels. That’s the most intriguing, and at least to outsiders, the most terrifying aspect of this surging team. They’ve held every conference opponent but one, Marshall, to 51 points or fewer on their home court. That includes Western Kentucky (averaging 74 points per game), UAB (73.8) and most recently, North Texas (66.2). Rice is playing at an incredibly high level as the calendar approaches March. To this point, no other team in the conference has been able to keep up.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

History made! Women’s basketball ranked in Top 25 for first time ever

By

Rice women’s basketball has made history, achieving a ranking in the AP Top 25 basketball poll for the first time in school history.

Expectations were high entering the 2018-2019 Rice women’s basketball season, and for good reason. The Owls finished 23-10 the season prior and were returning key pieces on the floor like Erica Ogwumike, Nancy Mulkey, Nicole Iademarco and others. This was supposed to be the caliber of team which contended, not only for a Conference USA Championship, but a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The Owls haven’t secured either of those aspirations quite yet, but for the first time in school history Rice women’s basketball has been ranked in the AP Top 25. Following a pair of runaway victories against FIU and FAU over the weekend the Owls jumped into the rankings, currently as the No. 25 team in the nation.

The achievement marks the start of what the Owls hope will be a banner season in program history. The only real question is why it took so long for the nation to take notice of the incredible run under way at South Main.

Rice hasn’t lost a game since December 18, currently in the midst of a 15-game winning streak, the longest in school history. The Owls have played two games decided by fewer than 10 points in that stretch, the most recent coming in early February against a tough Old Dominion team on the road.

Other than that, Rice has blown the doors off of just about every opponent they’ve faced. Every time it looked like they might have peaked, they won again, and again, and again. Now sitting at 22-3, they don’t look to be slowing down any time soon.

Congratulations to the ladies and to head coach Tina Langley. Earning this designation is a tremendous accomplishment. May the best be yet to come.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

WBB: Owls seek first ever AP Top 25 ranking

By

It was another impressive weekend on the court for Rice women’s basketball. The Owls are closing in on their first national ranking.

Rice women’s basketball bludgeoned another pair of conference opponents this week, blasting FIU by 32 points on Thursday before crushing FAU by 28 points on Saturday. For the better part of two months, no one has been able to crack the Owls’ physical defense which has allowed one opponent to surpass 51 points this calendar year.

The two wins boost the Owls’ record to 22-3 (13-0 CUSA) with three regular season games remaining. At this point finishing up the schedule has become somewhat of a formality as the team readies itself for the conference tournament and hopefully an NCAA Tournament berth.

Returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 is at the forefront of the team’s mind, but it’s not the only piece of history at stake for this squad. Winners of 15 straight, Rice is seeking their first appearance in the AP Top 25. The Owls stack up favorably against those ranked just above them.

Here’s how the lower portion of the top 25 faired this week:

No. 21 FSU (1-1) – Clemson (L), Pitt (W)
No. 22 Texas A&M (1-1) – LSU (W), Mississippi State (L)
No. 23 Rutgers (0-1) – Ohio State (L)
No. 24 Michigan State (0-2) – Wisconsin (L), Nebraska (L)
No. 25 South Dakota (1-0) – Western Illinois (W)

Also receiving votes

Rice (2-0) – FIU (W), FAU (W)
Utah (0-2) – Arizona (L), Arizona State (L)
UCF (0-2) – Tulane (L), UConn (L)
Drake (1-0) – Northern Iowa (W)
UCLA (0-1) – Stanford (L)

Rice is the only one of that selection of unranked teams to finish a perfect 2-0 this week. Each of those five ranked teams above the Owls lost at least once. Rutgers is on a three game losing streak and South Dakota’s overall record, 23-3, is almost identical to the Owls.

This team has been dominant. It’s time the pollsters give Rice some well-deserved recognition.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts