Rice University
Texas State
Owls Take Down Texas State in WNIT
3/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Kenny Bybee (kab10@rice.edu)
Rice 71-Texas State 60 (PDF Box Score) | Updated WNIT Bracket
HOUSTON
- The Rice Owls women's basketball team nearly led from start to finish in a 71-60 victory over the Texas State Bobcats in the opening round of the Women's Basketball Invitational (WNIT) Thursday evening at Tudor Fieldhouse.
Rice (23-9) pulled to within one win of tying the program record (set in 2004-05) for victories in a single-season by limiting an explosive Texas St. (23-9) offense to just 38 percent shooting from the field, including just 4-of-19 from three-point territory.
"I'm really proud of the way we came out and defended a great Texas State team tonight," Rice head coach Tina Langley said. "I thought we played really well, scout-specific defense and battled throughout the night."
Offensively, the Owls shot 46 percent from the floor and capitalized at the free throw line, converting on 16-of-20 attempts (80 percent). The Owls improved to 19-1 this season when they outrebound their opponents, holding a 38-34 edge over the Bobcats.
The Owls recorded their first win in the WNIT since 2006 and their fifth overall behind Erica Ogwumike's team-leading 14th double-double of the season. The redshirt sophomore guard scored a game-high 27 points along with a game-high 10 rebounds. The Cypress, Texas native scored 20 of her 27 points in the second half and finished the evening shooting 9-of-15 from the field and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. In the process, Ogwumike added to her season points total (543) and now has the third-highest single-season scoring output in Rice history, trailing only Pat Krieger (555, 1979-80) and Jessica Kuster (628, 2013-14).
Rice also received double-figure scoring performances from junior Nicole Iademarco (12 points) and junior Lauren Grigsby (10 points).
Texas State had four players score in double-figures, led by 13 points apiece from Jayla Johnson and Brooke Holle.
The Owls remained unbeaten when leading at the half, pushing their record to 19-0 after outscoring the Bobcats 32-25 in the first 20 minutes. Texas State closed the deficit to 62-58 with 4:18 left in the fourth, but freshman Sydne Wiggins started a 6-0 Rice run with a layup to beat the shot clock. The Owls proceeded to make 7-of-8 at the free throw line over the final 2:37 en route to the victory.
The Owls advance to the second round of the WNIT where they will face New Mexico (24-10) from Dreamstyle Arena (The Pit) in Albuquerque, N.M. on Tuesday, Mar. 20 at 8 p.m. (CT). The meeting will be Rice's first against the Lobos since 1998 and the fourth overall (NM leads 3-1).
-RiceOwls.com-
