Thursday, January 2
Houston, TX
7:00 pm CT
Rice University
vs
Marshall
PREVIEW: WBB Begins C-USA Action
12/31/2019 1:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Buy Tickets (Marshall)Watch (Marshall)Listen (Marshall)Live Stats (Marshall)Buy Tickets (WKU)Watch (WKU)Listen (WKU)Live Stats (WKU)Game Notes (Marshall/WKU)
Hosts Marshall, WKU this weekend
Rice Owls (5-6, 0-0) vs. Marshall Thundering Herd (5-6, 0-0)
Game 12 • Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 • 7 p.m. (CT)
Houston, Texas • Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Rice Owls vs. WKU Lady Toppers (8-3. 0-0)
Game 13 • Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 • 2 p.m. (CT)
Houston, Texas • Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Owls Begin Conference USA Action
Rice begins their quest for a second straight conference title starting on Thursday when they begin their 15th season in Conference USA. The Owls will first host Marshall (5-6) on Thursday, followed by WKU (8-3) on Saturday afternoon. Rice will be looking to get back in the win column after dropping a pair of low-scoring contests in Puerto Rico against Power 5 programs while the Herd have lost three consecutive games. WKU, who will be playing at North Texas on Jan. 2, has won three of their last four games but are coming off a 67-50 loss at Purdue on Dec. 18.
C-USA Dominance
The Owls have the sixth-longest active conference win streak in the country dating back to last season, having won 19 straight league contests. Only UConn (136), Quinnipiac (52), Baylor (42), Mercer (34), and FGCU (28) have won more consecutive conference games than the Owls. The Owls went 16-0 in league play last year with a winning margin of 19.2 points per game. Rice finished the season as one of just seven teams undefeated in conference play across the nation. Only Houston (16-0; 2010-11) and UTEP (16-0; 2007-08) completed perfect C-USA seasons before Rice, neither of which won their respective conference tournaments.
About Marshall
The Thundering Herd rank 78th in the NCAA in scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and currently have the conference's leading shot blocker in senior forward Ashley Saintigene (34 blocks). The Herd have the 17th-best defensive field goal percentage (33.7) in the nation and rank 33rd in rebounding (43 per game). Marshall has three players averaging double-figures in scoring, led by Savannah Wheeler (12.7 ppg). The Herd have already hoisted 281 three-point attempts, the third-most in C-USA.
About WKU
In a rematch of last year's C-USA semifinals, the Owls will be welcoming in a Lady Toppers team that is averaging 75.5 points per game (2nd in C-USA) and three players averaging 16 or more points. Whitney Creech (16.9 ppg), Raneem Elgedawy (16.9 ppg), and Dee Givens (16.2 ppg) pace the WKU offense. Elgedawy is also averaging 10.3 rebounds per contest, which ranks 23rd in the NCAA.
Last Time Out
A jumper by Georgia Tech's Kierra Fletcher with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner in Rice's 54-52 setback on Dec. 21 in the final game of the Coqui Classic. Rice had erased a five-point deficit in the final 43 seconds of the fourth quarter before Fletcher's game-winning score. The Owls had one last opportunity to win the game but Erica Ogwumike's three-point attempt was just off the mark as the horn sounded. In their final non-conference game of the season, the Owls were led in scoring by sophomore Jasmine Smith, who scored a season-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field (2-of-2 at the free throw line).
Stingy Defense
Dating back to last season the Owls have held 31 straight opponents below 70 points and 32 straight opponents below 45 percent shooting. Thru 11 games Rice is allowing opponents to score 55.1 points per game (30th in NCAA) and shoot just 35.2 percent (41st in NCAA). Last year's reigning NCAA shot blocker Nancy Mulkey has picked up where she left off last season and is currently sixth in the country in blocks per game (3.44).
Taking Advantage at the Line
The Owls are currently ranked 16th in the nation in free throw percentage (77.4 percent). The trio of Erica Ogwumike (47-of-59), Lauren Schwartz (28-of-32), and Nancy Mulkey (18-of-21) have combined to shoot 93-of-112 (.830) at the stripe. Schwartz ranks 23rd in the NCAA in free throw percentage (87.5%), fifth among all freshmen in the country.
Keeping Hands Out of the Cookie Jar
Rice ranks 15th in the NCAA in fewest personal fouls, committing just 13.8 fouls per contest. The Owls have committed 152 fouls this season, the lowest in all of C-USA.
Up Next
The Owls will head to the East Coast to take on Florida Atlantic (Jan. 9, 6 p.m. CT) and FIU (Jan. 11, 1 p.m. CT).
Game 12 • Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020 • 7 p.m. (CT)
Houston, Texas • Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: CUSAtv
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Rice Owls vs. WKU Lady Toppers (8-3. 0-0)
Game 13 • Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 • 2 p.m. (CT)
Houston, Texas • Tudor Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets: RiceOwls.com
Video Stream: ESPN+
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Sidearm
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Owls Begin Conference USA Action
Rice begins their quest for a second straight conference title starting on Thursday when they begin their 15th season in Conference USA. The Owls will first host Marshall (5-6) on Thursday, followed by WKU (8-3) on Saturday afternoon. Rice will be looking to get back in the win column after dropping a pair of low-scoring contests in Puerto Rico against Power 5 programs while the Herd have lost three consecutive games. WKU, who will be playing at North Texas on Jan. 2, has won three of their last four games but are coming off a 67-50 loss at Purdue on Dec. 18.
C-USA Dominance
The Owls have the sixth-longest active conference win streak in the country dating back to last season, having won 19 straight league contests. Only UConn (136), Quinnipiac (52), Baylor (42), Mercer (34), and FGCU (28) have won more consecutive conference games than the Owls. The Owls went 16-0 in league play last year with a winning margin of 19.2 points per game. Rice finished the season as one of just seven teams undefeated in conference play across the nation. Only Houston (16-0; 2010-11) and UTEP (16-0; 2007-08) completed perfect C-USA seasons before Rice, neither of which won their respective conference tournaments.
About Marshall
The Thundering Herd rank 78th in the NCAA in scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and currently have the conference's leading shot blocker in senior forward Ashley Saintigene (34 blocks). The Herd have the 17th-best defensive field goal percentage (33.7) in the nation and rank 33rd in rebounding (43 per game). Marshall has three players averaging double-figures in scoring, led by Savannah Wheeler (12.7 ppg). The Herd have already hoisted 281 three-point attempts, the third-most in C-USA.
About WKU
In a rematch of last year's C-USA semifinals, the Owls will be welcoming in a Lady Toppers team that is averaging 75.5 points per game (2nd in C-USA) and three players averaging 16 or more points. Whitney Creech (16.9 ppg), Raneem Elgedawy (16.9 ppg), and Dee Givens (16.2 ppg) pace the WKU offense. Elgedawy is also averaging 10.3 rebounds per contest, which ranks 23rd in the NCAA.
Last Time Out
A jumper by Georgia Tech's Kierra Fletcher with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner in Rice's 54-52 setback on Dec. 21 in the final game of the Coqui Classic. Rice had erased a five-point deficit in the final 43 seconds of the fourth quarter before Fletcher's game-winning score. The Owls had one last opportunity to win the game but Erica Ogwumike's three-point attempt was just off the mark as the horn sounded. In their final non-conference game of the season, the Owls were led in scoring by sophomore Jasmine Smith, who scored a season-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field (2-of-2 at the free throw line).
Stingy Defense
Dating back to last season the Owls have held 31 straight opponents below 70 points and 32 straight opponents below 45 percent shooting. Thru 11 games Rice is allowing opponents to score 55.1 points per game (30th in NCAA) and shoot just 35.2 percent (41st in NCAA). Last year's reigning NCAA shot blocker Nancy Mulkey has picked up where she left off last season and is currently sixth in the country in blocks per game (3.44).
Taking Advantage at the Line
The Owls are currently ranked 16th in the nation in free throw percentage (77.4 percent). The trio of Erica Ogwumike (47-of-59), Lauren Schwartz (28-of-32), and Nancy Mulkey (18-of-21) have combined to shoot 93-of-112 (.830) at the stripe. Schwartz ranks 23rd in the NCAA in free throw percentage (87.5%), fifth among all freshmen in the country.
Keeping Hands Out of the Cookie Jar
Rice ranks 15th in the NCAA in fewest personal fouls, committing just 13.8 fouls per contest. The Owls have committed 152 fouls this season, the lowest in all of C-USA.
Up Next
The Owls will head to the East Coast to take on Florida Atlantic (Jan. 9, 6 p.m. CT) and FIU (Jan. 11, 1 p.m. CT).
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09