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Rice Women’s Basketball overwhelmed in second half by Temple

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Rice Women’s Basketball led at halftime but couldn’t keep up the pace, falling by double-digits on the road at Temple on Friday.

Temple hit the first few shots, but it was Rice women’s basketball that set the tempo on Friday night in Philadelphia. After falling behind 5-0 in the first quarter, the Rice rallied to take the lead four minutes later and quickly surged ahead on the aggressive offensive play of Aniah Alexis, who paced both teams with a game-high 12 first quarter points.

Rice maintained a multiple-possession lead through the second quarter but never grew their advantage to double digits. Temple just wouldn’t go away, eventually pulling even again midway through the third quarter on a 9-2 run that brought the score to a deadlock at 42 points apiece. That’s when the momentum began to swing in favor of the hometown Owls in earnest.

More: Rice Football: 2025 Recruiting Class Analysis — Defense

After leading for the better portion of two quarters, Rice found itself trailing at the onset of the fourth quarter, falling even further behind when Temple opened the period with six straight points to go in front by 10, the largest lead be either side at that point in the contest. The onslaught wouldn’t stop there.

Interrupted by one layup from Trinity Gooden, Temple went on a fresh 9-0 run, ballooning the lead to 17 points and putting the game on ice before stretching their advantage to as many as 22 points. After controlling much of the early moments of this game, Rice would be outscored 50-25 in the second half, falling to 7-10 in AAC play and 14-15 overall.

Final Box | Temple 83, Rice 63

Key takeaway | Battle on the boards

One statistic doesn’t often tell the full story, but the Owls’ second half slump coincided quite clearly with a shift in their success rebounding, or lack thereof. For all their struggles this season, Rice had out-rebounded their opponents in 14 of their 16 conference games to date. That level of consistency appeared to be on track after the first half with Rice winning the rebounding battle 25 to 19 at halftime.

The second half was an entirely different story, though. Temple outrebounded Rice 17-11 in the second half and instead of losing this fight rather handily as the first half had suggested, actually matched Rice on the boards, 36 to 36. That changed the entire complexion of the game, disrupting the Owls’ offensive flow and thwarting any chance of a second half comeback.

Rice women’s’ basketball is 3-6 this season when losing the rebounding battle.

Up Next: vs North Texas (Tues, 3/4)

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2024-2025 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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Expectations are high for the 2024-2025 Rice women’s basketball season following an NCAA Tournament appearance under now fourth-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds.

Rice women’s basketball has hit its stride under Lindsay Edmonds, raising the bar in each successive season with her at the helm of the program, culminating in an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. That taste has everyone on the roster — which returns the vast majority of its key players, sans one — eager for an encore this coming season.

“This is the most veteran, the most mature team that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Edmonds said. With that experience comes a different level of urgency and an even greater sense of purpose. “We’re going faster and the expectations are just higher,” Edmonds declared.

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Rice Women’s Basketball, Malia Fisher steal victory vs LA Tech

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Louisiana Tech pushed Rice women’s basketball to the brink, but the Owls prevailed thanks in part to a clutch performance from Malia Fisher.

Thursday’s midweek tilt between Rice women’s basketball and Louisiana Tech was a grind from the start. There were eight fouls called in the first quarter, four on each side, compared to nine total field goals. The pace picked up a bit in the second but neither team got much headway with Lousiana Tech taking a one-point lead into the break.

Rice got things going in the third quarter. Malia Fisher and Trinity Gooden combined to go 8-of-11 from the floor, pushing Rice to a six-point lead before Louisiana Tech battled back to tie the game up in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter. The physical slug-fest was on again.

With Louisiana Tech leading by one under a minute to play, Destiny Jackson slashed to the rim, scored and drew the foul. Trailing by one, head coach Lindsay Edmonds called a timeout and delivered an ultimatum to her team. “We’re gonna win this game and I need everybody to believe it,” she said. “And if you don’t believe it, don’t go back out on the floor.”

The motivation worked. Not only did Jackson bring the game level again with the ensuing free throw, but soon after Malia Fisher delivered the knockout blow with this steal, score, and subsequent foul shots.

Final Box | Rice 60 – LA Tech 57

Key takeaway | Malia Fisher, two-half player

Throughout the last few weeks of the season, Edmonds would be the first to tell you Malia Fisher was a great player, but needed to improve on her consistency. She’d mentioned she wanted Fisher to be a true two-half player, steady throughout the course of the game. On Thursday night, Fisher rose to that challenge.

“She put together a complete game, that’s for sure,” Edmonds said in the aftermath. “When she’s not in foul trouble and she can get into her rhythm, she’s a huge help to us on the offensive end, the defensive end, the rebounding end. I thought she put together a complete game, a great game. The team needed it”

Fisher finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two steals, including what might have been the most impactful takeaway of the season thus far.

Up Next: at North Texas – Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m.



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2021-2022 Rice Women’s Basketball Season Preview

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The 2021-2022 Rice women’s basketball season is fast approaching. The team will look different this year and they’ll be learning as they go.

The last several months have been what new head coach Lindsay Edmonds dubbed a “whirlwind” for herself and the Rice women’s basketball program, There’s a new staff, what feels like a new roster and now it’s finally time to put everything together on the court.

Aware of the enormity of the challenge, Edmonds seems ready to lean into the adversity. “The expectations are to compete. The expectations are to win,” she said. “I know we lost a lot (of players) but that still doesn’t change who I am and what I’m about, so I still want us to compete in each and every game that we play, give our best, do all the little things and have each other’s back on the court.”

It’s going to take a group effort to achieve those goals. Rice returns one starter from last year’s team, Katelyn Crosthwait, and will rely on a thin roster featuring only 11 players. Incoming freshmen who might normally have been eased into service could be called on as early as opening day.

Edmonds made that clear from the start. “Everybody is going to be on the court. There’s not a lot on the roster so I expect everyone to play this year,” she said.” That likely means fans will need to break out their scorecards and start learning the roster from top to bottom. To help expedite that process, here’s the lay of the land for Rice women’s basketball as the season approaches.

The Coach – Lindsay Edmonds

For the first time in the last six seasons, Rice women’s basketball has a new woman at the helm. Lindsay Edmonds has taken over the head coaching title after Tina Langley departed for Washington. Edmonds had spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant at NC State where she was a part of three Sweet 16 appearances and coached multiple WNBA draft selections.

Last Season Snapshot

Rice women’s basketball made history last season with the program’s first-ever WNIT title. The Owls finished the season with a trophy and a 23-4 record, dropping just two conference games prior to a conference tournament championship game loss to Middle Tennessee, a game that was decided by just three points.

Key Question

Who will emerge on this rebuilt roster? In addition to losing their head coach, Rice will also be without Nancy Mulkey, Lauren Schwartz, Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith — four of their five starters from last season. That begs the question, who will take the big shot?

“There’s not a lot of players that played in those key and crucial moments in the past.,” Edmonds said. “I need to learn who I can trust in those moments. I need to learn who can handle the pressure of those moments. And I think we can’t figure that out quite yet in practices.”

Rice Women’s Basketball Schedule | Key Games/Dates

Nov. 9, 2021 – Season opener vs St. Edwards at Tudor Fieldhouse
Nov. 20, 2021 – Owls host Oklahoma State
Dec. 19, 2021 – Owls visit Texas A&M
Jan. 1, 2021 – Conference USA home opener vs North Texas
Jan. 6, 2021 – Conference USA first road game at Middle Tennessee
Mar. 8, 2021 – Conference USA Tournament

You can find the complete 2020-2021 Rice women’s basketball schedule here.

Key Returners

Katelyn Crosthwait, Guard (So.)

Crosthwait is one of two captains for Rice women’s basketball this year and the only returning starter. She led Rice with 43 three-pointers last year and started every game for the Owls including their run through the WNIT tournament. She’s a proven rebounder and is the most experienced player on this team. She will be looked to early and often as this young team works to find their rhythm.

Haylee Swayze, Guard (Jr.)

Also a team captain this season, Swayze is expected to make the jump from key reserve to key starter. She was the team’s leading scorer off the bench last season, averaging 6.7 points per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. She’s played in 80 games across three seasons, making two starts. Her role will increase significantly this season.

Destiny Jackson, Guard (So.)

Part of a very highly regarded 2019 signing class, Jackson was a key piece off the bench for the Owls in each of the last two seasons. She averaged 3.5 points and 3.2 rebounds last season, also creating 1.9 assists per game. She’ll be trusted with the ball in her hands often and could become an important distributor in what is expected to be a much faster-paced offense.

India Bellamy, Forward (So.)

Bellamy averaged 12.3 minutes per game last season, doubling her floor time from her true freshman season. She was able to snag 55 rebounds during that time and will be a trusted post presence for Rice on the court this season. She’s shot 42.2 percent from the field over two seasons with the Owls and is one of a handful of players Edmonds singled out as being in line to “play a lot of minutes.”

Ashlee Austin, Forward (So.)

Austin rounds out the group of players that have meaningful on-court experience for the Owls. She’s a physical forward that is strong with the ball but her Croswthwait was sure to note “she can make quick moves”, praising her versatility. She played 6.3 minutes per game last season, seeing action in 16 contests from the back end of the bench. She’ll be in line for a much larger role this season as well.

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Key names off the bench

Alexis Stover, Forward (Gr.) – The only transfer addition to the Rice women’s basketball roster,  Stover comes to South Main from Wright State and brings NCAA Tournament experience.

Arianna McCurry, Center (Jr.) – A reserve center last year who seldom saw the court, her 6-foot-6 size and no Mulkey will likely necessitate more playing time than her 7.4 minutes per game last season.

Maya Bokunewicz, Guard (Fr.) – Bokunewicz redshirted last season. She was praised for her versatility by the previous staff and could play multiple positions for Rice. Finding her niche will be key.

Malia Fisher, Forward (Fr.) – One of three new freshmen on the roster, Fisher is player that Edmonds described as someone with the “ability to do something that makes you go, ‘wow'”

Trinity Gooden, Guard (Fr.) – Another incoming freshman, Edmonds was enamored with Gooden’s toughness and style of play. Both she and Fisher could challenge for starting roles sooner than later.

Robin Whitehead, Guard (Fr.) – A later addition to the roster, Whitehead was a two-year starter at Atoscita where she averaged 14 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 steals.



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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls hit reset button entering 2021-2022 season

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The Rice women’s basketball team is going to look different this season. With the coaching transition comes an unusually high level of roster turnover.

Things are going to look different at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. The departure of former Rice women’s basketball head coach Tina Langley for Washington sent shockwaves through the Owls’ roster. Rice acted quickly, filling the vacated position with former NC State assistant Lindsay Edmonds, but at that point, the proverbial cats were out of their bags.

In the span of a few months, four of the Owls’ five starters left the program.

Thrust into a suddenly more strenuous position than originally expected, Edmonds summed it up rather succinctly, “it’s been a whirlwind.”

Transfers are common when coaching transitions happen in college athletics. Players, understandably, share a loyalty to the coach that recruited them. Others take the opportunity to look around at their alternatives, possible for the first time. Rice saw the ripple effects of both of those scenarios.

Edmonds did what she could to keep that talent from flocking away from South Main. “The roster turnover is definitely not something that I anticipated or wanted to happen,” she said. “I fought really hard to keep them.” Unfortunately for the Owls, several chose to move on.

On the way out

Nancy Mulkey, who was eligible for the WNBA Draft, pulled her name out at the last minute. Rather than go pro, she opted to follow Langley to Washington. Also joining her former coach at a later date was forward Lauren Schwartz. Unfortunately, there were more.

Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith both decided to transfer to SMU. And just like that, Rice had lost their head coach and four of their five starting players in the span of a few short months. Katelyn Crosthwait is the lone starter who opted to remain at South Main along with Edmonds, now tasked with rebuilding a roster.

On the way in

Rice women’s basketball added one transfer to the mix, Alexis Stover, who transfers to Rice from Wright State. She averaged 2.1 points per game with the Raiders in her senior season and started 45 games across her two seasons there after beginning her career with one season at Ohio. Now one of the most veteran players on the roster, Edmonds is hopeful Stover’s experience will pay dividends for the Owls.

Joining the Owls from the high school ranks are Malia Fisher and Trinity Gooden. Both signed with Rice last winter and were recruited by Langley and her staff. Still, have the potential to play meaningful roles in the years to come.

The new-look roster

The losses were tough, but in time, seems to have reoriented herself to the new reality and her new roster. “The ones that are here and wanted to be here with us are here, and that’s what we’re gonna roll with,” she said rather resolutely.

Rounding out the rest of the roster are juniors Haylee Swayze and Arianna McCurry, sophomores India Bellamy, Ashlee Austin, Destiny Jackson and Crosthwait plus redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz. At this time, Edmonds says this is likely the roster they’ll go to battle this season.

The roster, as is, sits at 10 members, a thin collection in a typical season without potential COVID-19 challenges to wrestle with. The 2022 class should be a sizable one. But the Owls have to get there first.

Undeterred, Edmonds is eagerly embracing the task at hand. Her last several months have been spent building relationships, on and off the court, with current members of the team. For her, that’s brought a sense of normalcy back to the process.

“I’m really excited about the ones that are here,” she reiterated. “The numbers aren’t nearly as high as I would like them to be, but I think everyone that is on the roster can do something to help us this season.”

The reality is this team is going to look different, very different. But just like Langley inherited an unrefined product and turned it into an NCAA Tournament caliber team, Edmonds will have her own shot to build this roster. And it’ll happen from the ground up.



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