Thursday, March 11
Frisco, Texas
11 A.M.
Rice University
vs
FIU (Quarterfinals)
PREVIEW | WBB Heads to Frisco for C-USA Championships
3/10/2021 3:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Owls face FIU in quarterfinals on Thursday at 11 a.m.
No. 1 Rice Owls (16-3, 12-2) vs. No. 4 FIU Panthers (13-11, 8-8)
Game 20 • Thursday, Mar. 11, 2021 • 11 a.m. (CT)
Frisco, Texas • The Ford Center at The Star
Video Stream: Stadium
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Owls Head to C-USA Championships as No. 1 Seed
The Rice Owls travel to Frisco, Texas this week looking to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years when they face the winner of FIU on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Owls won the West Division with a 12-2 record in C-USA and will be a No. 1 seed for a third straight conference tournament. Last season the Owls were C-USA's No. 1 seed when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Owls defeated Middle Tennessee 69-54 in the 2019 C-USA Championship, the program's first C-USA tournament title. Under sixth-year head coach Tina Langley the Owls have compiled a 7-3 record at the C-USA Championships.
About FIU
The Panthers are coming off an 85-75 opening round victory over Southern Miss and have won four of their last six games overall. FIU has four players averaging double-figures in points, led by redshirt junior guard Jiselle Thomas (17.5 points per game). The Panthers like to shoot the long ball, ranking in the top 25 in the NCAA in three-pointers made (22nd-199), three-pointers made per game (23rd-8.7), and three-pointers attempted (578).
Mulkey Garners Conference Honors
For a record-tying third consecutive season, Rice senior center Nancy Mulkey was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday. Mulkey joined Janell Burse (Tulane, 1999-01) and Sandora Irvin (TCU, 2003-05) as the only players in C-USA history to be named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive years. While helping guide the Owls (17-3, 13-2) to the C-USA West division title, Mulkey has averaged 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks during league play while shooting 57.9 percent from the field.
For the season, Mulkey ranks fifth in the country in blocked shots per game (3.10) and is 14th in field goal percentage (58.1%). In addition to DPOY honors, Mulkey was also named C-USA First Team and to the All-Defensive Team for a third straight year. This season alone Mulkey has already been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award, and the Senior CLASS Award. During the Mulkey era (2019-21) the Owls have gone 59-13.
Golden Era for Owls
Since Tina Langley's arrival to Rice, the Owls have done nothing but win. Rice's all-time leader in winning percentage (.664), Langley has led the Owls to a combined record of 110-38 (.743) over the last 148 games and are coming off a third straight Conference USA title. Heading into this season the Owls had reached the 20-win plateau in four consecutive seasons (22, 23, 28, 21), the greatest four-year stretch in program history. The Owls have played in the postseason in three of the last four seasons, which includes the NCAA Tournament (2019), WNIT (2018), and WBI (champions in 2017).
Conference Dominance
The Owls have won 50 of their last 55 contests against C-USA opponents dating back to the 2017-18 season, which includes a 5-1 record in Frisco at the C-USA Championships. Rice held a league-record 30-game win streak against C-USA opponents before it was snapped last year.
All About Efficiency
The Owls are one of only four teams in the NCAA that rank Top-10 in the country in both offensive field goal percentage (8th-47.9) and defensive field goal percentage (10th-34.4). The other three teams are Baylor (5th/1st), Stephen F. Austin (3rd/6th) and UConn (2nd/5th).
Game 20 • Thursday, Mar. 11, 2021 • 11 a.m. (CT)
Frisco, Texas • The Ford Center at The Star
Video Stream: Stadium
Listen: RiceOwls.com
Live Stats: Statbroadcast
Twitter Updates: @RiceWBB
Owls Head to C-USA Championships as No. 1 Seed
The Rice Owls travel to Frisco, Texas this week looking to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last three years when they face the winner of FIU on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Owls won the West Division with a 12-2 record in C-USA and will be a No. 1 seed for a third straight conference tournament. Last season the Owls were C-USA's No. 1 seed when the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Owls defeated Middle Tennessee 69-54 in the 2019 C-USA Championship, the program's first C-USA tournament title. Under sixth-year head coach Tina Langley the Owls have compiled a 7-3 record at the C-USA Championships.
About FIU
The Panthers are coming off an 85-75 opening round victory over Southern Miss and have won four of their last six games overall. FIU has four players averaging double-figures in points, led by redshirt junior guard Jiselle Thomas (17.5 points per game). The Panthers like to shoot the long ball, ranking in the top 25 in the NCAA in three-pointers made (22nd-199), three-pointers made per game (23rd-8.7), and three-pointers attempted (578).
Mulkey Garners Conference Honors
For a record-tying third consecutive season, Rice senior center Nancy Mulkey was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday. Mulkey joined Janell Burse (Tulane, 1999-01) and Sandora Irvin (TCU, 2003-05) as the only players in C-USA history to be named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive years. While helping guide the Owls (17-3, 13-2) to the C-USA West division title, Mulkey has averaged 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks during league play while shooting 57.9 percent from the field.
For the season, Mulkey ranks fifth in the country in blocked shots per game (3.10) and is 14th in field goal percentage (58.1%). In addition to DPOY honors, Mulkey was also named C-USA First Team and to the All-Defensive Team for a third straight year. This season alone Mulkey has already been named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award, and the Senior CLASS Award. During the Mulkey era (2019-21) the Owls have gone 59-13.
Golden Era for Owls
Since Tina Langley's arrival to Rice, the Owls have done nothing but win. Rice's all-time leader in winning percentage (.664), Langley has led the Owls to a combined record of 110-38 (.743) over the last 148 games and are coming off a third straight Conference USA title. Heading into this season the Owls had reached the 20-win plateau in four consecutive seasons (22, 23, 28, 21), the greatest four-year stretch in program history. The Owls have played in the postseason in three of the last four seasons, which includes the NCAA Tournament (2019), WNIT (2018), and WBI (champions in 2017).
Conference Dominance
The Owls have won 50 of their last 55 contests against C-USA opponents dating back to the 2017-18 season, which includes a 5-1 record in Frisco at the C-USA Championships. Rice held a league-record 30-game win streak against C-USA opponents before it was snapped last year.
All About Efficiency
The Owls are one of only four teams in the NCAA that rank Top-10 in the country in both offensive field goal percentage (8th-47.9) and defensive field goal percentage (10th-34.4). The other three teams are Baylor (5th/1st), Stephen F. Austin (3rd/6th) and UConn (2nd/5th).
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
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