Thursday, February 17
Houston, TX
7:00 P.M. CT
Rice University
-811,38 CUSA
81
vs
76
UAB
-1310,66 CUSA
1
2
3
4
F
UAB
19
20
14
23
76
Rice
21
19
20
21
81
Photo by: Juan DeLeon
Owls Use Balanced Effort to Defeat Blazers, 81-76
2/17/2022 10:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Rice gets three players in double-figure scoring
HOUSTON – The Rice Owls women's basketball team used a diverse and efficient offense to earn an impressive 81-76 home victory over the UAB Blazers Thursday evening to begin a stretch of five games in 10 days on the winning note.
Rice (8-11, 3-8) totaled their second-most points in a Conference USA game this season by shooting an in-conference play season-best 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field with a 15-to-10 assist to turnover ratio and a 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) performance from three-point territory.
The Owls had three players score in double-figures, led by 22 points from sophomore forward Ashlee Austin, who made 9-of-17 shot from the floor and scored 17 of her points in the second half. Redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz fell just one point shy of tying her career-high with 19 points, making 7-of-13 shots from the field while playing all 40 minutes and leading the Owls with a career-high eight rebounds.
Sophomore guard Destiny Jackson also played all 40 minutes and made it a night to remember, establishing career-highs in both points (17) and assists (9) along with six rebounds and two steals.
Rice's 10 turnovers matched their output in the season opener against St. Edwards for the lowest total of the season.
Postgame Reaction - Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds
"We're learning by now that a lot of our games are going to come down to the wire and we have to be better in those moments, myself included. We're consistently learning what works best for us as the season goes along and I'm still getting to know my players and who we can call certain things for. We've grown a lot together and I'm just really proud of them and happy that they were able to get rewarded for their hard work."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Owls shot 50 percent from the field en route to a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes of action as Bokunewicz poured in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including a pair of triples. Five different Owls registered points in the period.
Second Quarter
Rice made their final four shots and erased a 31-27 deficit with a 13-8 run to end the half, capped off by Bokunewicz's third three-pointer of the game in the closing seconds to give the Owls a 40-39 halftime advantage.
Third Quarter
The Owls would never relinquish the lead and outscored the Blazers 20-14 coming out of halftime to take a 60-53 lead going into the final quarter. Austin took over offensively, scoring 10 points in the quarter on 4-of-10 shooting while Jackson and Trinity Gooden chipped in five points apiece.
Fourth Quarter
With the game in the balance and the Owls clinging to a 69-67 lead, Jackson and Haylee Swayze connected on back-to-back three-pointers with 2:09 remaining to give Rice some much-needed cushion. The Owls made 6-of-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to preserve the victory.
UP NEXT
The Owls look to make it two in a row this Saturday when they host FIU at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Rice (8-11, 3-8) totaled their second-most points in a Conference USA game this season by shooting an in-conference play season-best 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field with a 15-to-10 assist to turnover ratio and a 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) performance from three-point territory.
The Owls had three players score in double-figures, led by 22 points from sophomore forward Ashlee Austin, who made 9-of-17 shot from the floor and scored 17 of her points in the second half. Redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz fell just one point shy of tying her career-high with 19 points, making 7-of-13 shots from the field while playing all 40 minutes and leading the Owls with a career-high eight rebounds.
Sophomore guard Destiny Jackson also played all 40 minutes and made it a night to remember, establishing career-highs in both points (17) and assists (9) along with six rebounds and two steals.
Rice's 10 turnovers matched their output in the season opener against St. Edwards for the lowest total of the season.
"We're learning by now that a lot of our games are going to come down to the wire and we have to be better in those moments, myself included. We're consistently learning what works best for us as the season goes along and I'm still getting to know my players and who we can call certain things for. We've grown a lot together and I'm just really proud of them and happy that they were able to get rewarded for their hard work."
First Quarter
The Owls shot 50 percent from the field en route to a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes of action as Bokunewicz poured in 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including a pair of triples. Five different Owls registered points in the period.
Second Quarter
Rice made their final four shots and erased a 31-27 deficit with a 13-8 run to end the half, capped off by Bokunewicz's third three-pointer of the game in the closing seconds to give the Owls a 40-39 halftime advantage.
Third Quarter
The Owls would never relinquish the lead and outscored the Blazers 20-14 coming out of halftime to take a 60-53 lead going into the final quarter. Austin took over offensively, scoring 10 points in the quarter on 4-of-10 shooting while Jackson and Trinity Gooden chipped in five points apiece.
Fourth Quarter
With the game in the balance and the Owls clinging to a 69-67 lead, Jackson and Haylee Swayze connected on back-to-back three-pointers with 2:09 remaining to give Rice some much-needed cushion. The Owls made 6-of-8 from the charity stripe down the stretch to preserve the victory.
The Owls look to make it two in a row this Saturday when they host FIU at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
-RiceOwls.com-
Team Stats
UAB
Rice
FG%
.419
.492
3FG%
.350
.583
FT%
.895
.737
RB
40
29
TO
14
10
STL
4
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
22
FGM
9
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
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