Saturday, January 26
Birmingham, AL
1:00 p.m. CT
Rice University
-163, 70 CUSA
55
at
43
UAB
-183, 62 CUSA
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RICE
10
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16
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55
UAB
10
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43
Photo by: Juan DeLeon
Owls’ Defense Leads the Way in 55-43 Win at UAB
1/26/2019 3:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Rice wins ninth straight overall; improves to 7-0 in C-USA
BIRMINGHAM, AL – Behind a phenomenal defensive performance and a balanced scoring attack, the Rice Owls women's basketball team recorded a 55-43 road victory at UAB for the team's ninth consecutive win.
Rice (16-3, 7-0) remained perfect in conference play this season with a seventh straight double-digit victory. The Owls held a UAB team that scores 75.3 points per game to 32 points below their season average on 28 percent shooting for the contest.
The Owls nine-game win streak is tied for the third-longest in program history and the longest since the 2005-06 season.
Sophomore center Nancy Mulkey flirted with a triple-double, scoring a game-high 14 points to go along with 10 rebounds and posted a second-straight game with eight blocks, yet again tying her own school record for blocks in a game. The Cypress, Texas native made 6-of-11 shots from the field (2-of-2 at the free throw line) while playing 33 minutes for her first double-double of the season.
Mulkey was one of three Owls to score in double-figures, joined by Nicole Iademarco (14 points) and Erica Ogwumike (11 points). Ogwumike also collected nine rebounds and scored nine of her 11 points in the final quarter. In addition, Jasmine Smith and Lauren Grigsby each scored eight points and combined for four made three-pointers.
The Owls, who keep adding to their best start in C-USA play in program history, committed a season-low nine turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Quarter 1
Both teams struggled offensively in the opening 10 minutes, combining to shoot just 8-of-28 in a period that concluded in a 10-10 tie. Smith scored the first points of the game on the opening possession by drilling a three-pointer and the Owls kept the Blazers off the scoreboard until a layup from Rachael Childress with 5:26 left in the quarter.
Quarter 2
Mulkey scored eight of the Owls 10 points in the second quarter on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, but it was the Blazers who took a 23-20 halftime lead by outscoring the Owls 13-10 in the period.
Quarter 3
In what has proved to be a staple this season, the Owls made halftime adjustments and the results showed on the court, outscoring UAB 16-7 in the quarter and limiting the Blazers to 3-of-15 shooting (20 percent). Iademarco found a groove offensively by scoring nine points on 3-of-3 shooting, all of which came during a critical 11-2 Owls run over the first six minutes of the quarter. Smith added another three-pointer with 2:17 to go to extend the Rice advantage to 36-28 before entering the fourth with a 36-30 lead.
Quarter 4.
The Blazers trimmed the Rice lead to 39-37 with 6:24 remaining in the game but the Owls responded in a big way, outscoring UAB 16-6 the rest of the quarter. Grigsby scored five clutch points during the stretch and Ogwumike poured in nine points, including a dagger three-pointer with 2:11 remaining to give the Owls a 51-41 lead. Mulkey recorded three of her eight blocks during the run for her third eight-block performance of the season.
UP NEXT
The Owls return home next week for a pair of C-USA contests, starting with Charlotte on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Rice will then host Old Dominion on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. on ESPN3. For more information, including tickets, be sure to visit RiceOwls.com.
-RiceOwls.com-
Rice (16-3, 7-0) remained perfect in conference play this season with a seventh straight double-digit victory. The Owls held a UAB team that scores 75.3 points per game to 32 points below their season average on 28 percent shooting for the contest.
The Owls nine-game win streak is tied for the third-longest in program history and the longest since the 2005-06 season.
Sophomore center Nancy Mulkey flirted with a triple-double, scoring a game-high 14 points to go along with 10 rebounds and posted a second-straight game with eight blocks, yet again tying her own school record for blocks in a game. The Cypress, Texas native made 6-of-11 shots from the field (2-of-2 at the free throw line) while playing 33 minutes for her first double-double of the season.
Mulkey was one of three Owls to score in double-figures, joined by Nicole Iademarco (14 points) and Erica Ogwumike (11 points). Ogwumike also collected nine rebounds and scored nine of her 11 points in the final quarter. In addition, Jasmine Smith and Lauren Grigsby each scored eight points and combined for four made three-pointers.
The Owls, who keep adding to their best start in C-USA play in program history, committed a season-low nine turnovers.
Quarter 1
Both teams struggled offensively in the opening 10 minutes, combining to shoot just 8-of-28 in a period that concluded in a 10-10 tie. Smith scored the first points of the game on the opening possession by drilling a three-pointer and the Owls kept the Blazers off the scoreboard until a layup from Rachael Childress with 5:26 left in the quarter.
Quarter 2
Mulkey scored eight of the Owls 10 points in the second quarter on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, but it was the Blazers who took a 23-20 halftime lead by outscoring the Owls 13-10 in the period.
Quarter 3
In what has proved to be a staple this season, the Owls made halftime adjustments and the results showed on the court, outscoring UAB 16-7 in the quarter and limiting the Blazers to 3-of-15 shooting (20 percent). Iademarco found a groove offensively by scoring nine points on 3-of-3 shooting, all of which came during a critical 11-2 Owls run over the first six minutes of the quarter. Smith added another three-pointer with 2:17 to go to extend the Rice advantage to 36-28 before entering the fourth with a 36-30 lead.
Quarter 4.
The Blazers trimmed the Rice lead to 39-37 with 6:24 remaining in the game but the Owls responded in a big way, outscoring UAB 16-6 the rest of the quarter. Grigsby scored five clutch points during the stretch and Ogwumike poured in nine points, including a dagger three-pointer with 2:11 remaining to give the Owls a 51-41 lead. Mulkey recorded three of her eight blocks during the run for her third eight-block performance of the season.
The Owls return home next week for a pair of C-USA contests, starting with Charlotte on Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. Rice will then host Old Dominion on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. on ESPN3. For more information, including tickets, be sure to visit RiceOwls.com.
-RiceOwls.com-
Team Stats
RICE
UAB
FG%
.404
.283
3FG%
.412
.263
FT%
.750
1.000
RB
40
35
TO
9
7
STL
4
5
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG/F
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
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