Saturday, December 31
Houston, TX
2:00 P.M. CT
Rice University
-102,12 CUSA
62
vs
53
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
UTEP
-93,21 CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
UTEP
13
14
16
10
53
Rice
12
14
17
19
62
Photo by: ©Juan DeLeon Creative
Owls Wrap Up 2022 With Win Over UTEP
12/31/2022 5:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Houston, TX – The Rice women's basketball team defeated UTEP 62-53 Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse, capping off 2022 with the team's first C-USA win of the season. Tied at 43-43 entering the final quarter, Rice (10-2, 1-2 C-USA) used 7-of-12 shooting from the floor to upend the Miners (9-3, 2-1 C-USA).
Trinity Gooden led Rice with 13 points while Malia Fisher finished with a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds while adding two assists and two steals. Destiny Jackson added 11 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Jazzy Owens-Barnett rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and two rebounds.
Postgame Reaction - Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds
"It feels good to be back in the win column. I thought that we were tough today. We didn't start out the way we wanted to, but we found a way to keep ourselves in the game. I thought we hung out hats more on defense and rebounding this game, which is what we've been focusing on. They gave us a chance to come back in the fourth because of our defense and our rebounding. We held them to 53 points and they average 65, so I thought we did a great job of disrupting what they were trying to do. They are a great team and they are going to win a lot of game but I was just really, really proud especially of our fourth quarter effort to stay poised and find a way to get a win against a great team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Following back-to-back baskets to open the game for UTEP, Ashlee Austin got Rice on the board with a layup. Both sides traded baskets until UTEP held a five-point lead at 13-8 with under two minutes in the quarter. India Bellamy and Fisher brought Rice within one at 13-12 at the end of the first.
Second Quarter
Dominique Ennis got the first basket for Rice in the second, keeping it a one-point deficit for Rice. The Owls took their first lead of the game halfway through the second 21-20 following a Fisher jumper. Rice hit five free throws in the remaining minutes of the half to trail the Miners 27-26 at halftime.
Third Quarter
UTEP continued to counter each Rice basket to open to third, with a three pointer late in the third giving the Miners their biggest lead of the game at 40-34. Jackson converted a three-point play to cut the deficit in half, with Gooden and Austin following with layups to give the lead back to Rick at 41-40. Rice and UTEP each netted baskets to close the third tied at 43-43.
Fourth Quarter
After Austin tied the game early in the fourth, a three for the Miners put UTEP up 50-47 with 7:44 left in the game. Owens-Barnett countered the basket with her own three to tie the game. After trading baskets, Jackson gave Rice the lead 54-52 with 3:22 left with UTEP getting a free throw to cut the lead to one. Owens-Barnett sparked an 8-0 run to close the game, giving the Owls the 62-52 win.
UP NEXT
Rice will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 6, when the team travels to LA Tech. That game will tip-off at 6:00 p.m.
Trinity Gooden led Rice with 13 points while Malia Fisher finished with a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds while adding two assists and two steals. Destiny Jackson added 11 points with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Jazzy Owens-Barnett rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points and two rebounds.
"It feels good to be back in the win column. I thought that we were tough today. We didn't start out the way we wanted to, but we found a way to keep ourselves in the game. I thought we hung out hats more on defense and rebounding this game, which is what we've been focusing on. They gave us a chance to come back in the fourth because of our defense and our rebounding. We held them to 53 points and they average 65, so I thought we did a great job of disrupting what they were trying to do. They are a great team and they are going to win a lot of game but I was just really, really proud especially of our fourth quarter effort to stay poised and find a way to get a win against a great team."
First Quarter
Following back-to-back baskets to open the game for UTEP, Ashlee Austin got Rice on the board with a layup. Both sides traded baskets until UTEP held a five-point lead at 13-8 with under two minutes in the quarter. India Bellamy and Fisher brought Rice within one at 13-12 at the end of the first.
Second Quarter
Dominique Ennis got the first basket for Rice in the second, keeping it a one-point deficit for Rice. The Owls took their first lead of the game halfway through the second 21-20 following a Fisher jumper. Rice hit five free throws in the remaining minutes of the half to trail the Miners 27-26 at halftime.
Third Quarter
UTEP continued to counter each Rice basket to open to third, with a three pointer late in the third giving the Miners their biggest lead of the game at 40-34. Jackson converted a three-point play to cut the deficit in half, with Gooden and Austin following with layups to give the lead back to Rick at 41-40. Rice and UTEP each netted baskets to close the third tied at 43-43.
Fourth Quarter
After Austin tied the game early in the fourth, a three for the Miners put UTEP up 50-47 with 7:44 left in the game. Owens-Barnett countered the basket with her own three to tie the game. After trading baskets, Jackson gave Rice the lead 54-52 with 3:22 left with UTEP getting a free throw to cut the lead to one. Owens-Barnett sparked an 8-0 run to close the game, giving the Owls the 62-52 win.
Rice will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 6, when the team travels to LA Tech. That game will tip-off at 6:00 p.m.
Team Stats
UTEP
Rice
FG%
.346
.455
3FG%
.385
.118
FT%
.600
.833
RB
32
30
TO
14
15
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
7
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09