Sunday, January 7
Dallas, TX
2 p.m.
Rice University
8-5,2-0AAC
65
at
63
SMU
7-7,1-2AAC
1
2
3
4
F
Rice
15
16
17
17
65
SMU
11
12
19
21
63
Jackson’s Buzzer-Beater Lifts Owls Past SMU
1/7/2024 5:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball
DALLAS – Tied at 63-63 with 25 seconds remaining, Destiny Jackson winded down the clock before driving in and laying the ball off the glass and through the net as time expired to give the Owls a 65-63 win against SMU at Moody Coliseum Sunday afternoon.
Jackson led the Owls with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a block and steal while Malia Fisher finished with her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jazzy Owens-Barnett rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, two assists and two steals.
As a team, Rice shot 23-of-60 (38.3%) from the floor and 6-of-15 (40.0%) from three-point range. The Owls added a 13-of-15 (86.7%) from the free throw line. Rice out-rebounded SMU 39-34, with 10 offensive rebounds resulting in 18 second-chance points for the Owls.
Postgame Reaction - Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds
"Winning is hard, period. But, winning on the road is really hard. Against a talented basketball team that is going to win a lot of games in our conference. I am so proud of our grit and our determination and our not willing to give up; just so, so proud. We fought till the very, very end. I think it started with the way we started the game and allowed us a little bit of a buffer because we got off to a good start on the road and that's hard to do."
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
After SMU scored the opening points of the game, Shelby Hayes' layup, followed by a Dominique Ennis three-pointer, gave the Owls an early 5-2 lead. Leading 7-4, Jazzy Owens-Barnett and Destiny Jackson connected on back-to-back layups to give Rice a seven-point lead. SMU used a quick 7-0 run to tie the game, but Fatou Samb's layup and a pair of Hailey Adams free throws gave Rice a 15-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Leading by two at 17-15, Ennis and Emily Klaczek drilled back-to-back three-pointers to give the Owls a 23-15 lead. With Rice ahead by seven points, Klaczek hit another three to give Rice a double-digit lead. After Owens-Barnett's layup gave Rice a 29-17 lead, the two sides traded scores as the Owls led 31-23 at halftime.
Third Quarter
SMU cut the deficit to two before Fisher's and-one extended the Owl lead to five. An 8-2 SMU run gave the Mustangs a one-point lead, but Fisher's three-pointer gave the lead back to Rice. Tied at 39-39, Jackson connected on another Rice three-pointer, with Adams following with a jumper to give Rice a 44-39 advantage. Owens-Barnett netted the final four points of the quarter with free throws as the Owls led 48-42.
Fourth Quarter
After Fisher's layup gave Rice a 52-44 lead, SMU went on a 10-0 run to take a 54-42 lead with 4:40 left in the game. An Ennis free throw, followed by a fast break layup from Jackson, gave the lead back to Rice. Tied at 55-55, Jackson's layup put Rice up two, but a SMU three-pointer gave the Mustangs a one-point lead. With Rice leading 61-58, back-to-back layups by SMU gave the Mustangs a 63-62 lead. Fisher gave the lead back to Rice at 64-63 with 1:04 left, but a SMU free throw tied the game with 46 seconds left. Coming out of a timeout tied at 63-63 with 25 seconds remaining, Destiny Jackson patiently dribbled the ball before going to the corner and driving underneath the basket, where she layed the ball of the top off the glass and through the net as the horn expired, giving Rice the 65-63 win.
TEAM NOTES
UP NEXT
Rice returns to Tudor Fieldhouse next Thursday when the team welcomes Charlotte at 7 p.m.
Jackson led the Owls with 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a block and steal while Malia Fisher finished with her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jazzy Owens-Barnett rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, two assists and two steals.
As a team, Rice shot 23-of-60 (38.3%) from the floor and 6-of-15 (40.0%) from three-point range. The Owls added a 13-of-15 (86.7%) from the free throw line. Rice out-rebounded SMU 39-34, with 10 offensive rebounds resulting in 18 second-chance points for the Owls.
"Winning is hard, period. But, winning on the road is really hard. Against a talented basketball team that is going to win a lot of games in our conference. I am so proud of our grit and our determination and our not willing to give up; just so, so proud. We fought till the very, very end. I think it started with the way we started the game and allowed us a little bit of a buffer because we got off to a good start on the road and that's hard to do."
First Quarter
After SMU scored the opening points of the game, Shelby Hayes' layup, followed by a Dominique Ennis three-pointer, gave the Owls an early 5-2 lead. Leading 7-4, Jazzy Owens-Barnett and Destiny Jackson connected on back-to-back layups to give Rice a seven-point lead. SMU used a quick 7-0 run to tie the game, but Fatou Samb's layup and a pair of Hailey Adams free throws gave Rice a 15-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Leading by two at 17-15, Ennis and Emily Klaczek drilled back-to-back three-pointers to give the Owls a 23-15 lead. With Rice ahead by seven points, Klaczek hit another three to give Rice a double-digit lead. After Owens-Barnett's layup gave Rice a 29-17 lead, the two sides traded scores as the Owls led 31-23 at halftime.
Third Quarter
SMU cut the deficit to two before Fisher's and-one extended the Owl lead to five. An 8-2 SMU run gave the Mustangs a one-point lead, but Fisher's three-pointer gave the lead back to Rice. Tied at 39-39, Jackson connected on another Rice three-pointer, with Adams following with a jumper to give Rice a 44-39 advantage. Owens-Barnett netted the final four points of the quarter with free throws as the Owls led 48-42.
Fourth Quarter
After Fisher's layup gave Rice a 52-44 lead, SMU went on a 10-0 run to take a 54-42 lead with 4:40 left in the game. An Ennis free throw, followed by a fast break layup from Jackson, gave the lead back to Rice. Tied at 55-55, Jackson's layup put Rice up two, but a SMU three-pointer gave the Mustangs a one-point lead. With Rice leading 61-58, back-to-back layups by SMU gave the Mustangs a 63-62 lead. Fisher gave the lead back to Rice at 64-63 with 1:04 left, but a SMU free throw tied the game with 46 seconds left. Coming out of a timeout tied at 63-63 with 25 seconds remaining, Destiny Jackson patiently dribbled the ball before going to the corner and driving underneath the basket, where she layed the ball of the top off the glass and through the net as the horn expired, giving Rice the 65-63 win.
- With the win, Rice is now 36-36 all-time against SMU.
- The Owls are 2-0 to start conference play for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
- Fisher recorded her first double-double of the season and 11th in her career.
- Fisher's 15 points were a season high.
- Jackson's 17 points and seven assists are a season high.
Rice returns to Tudor Fieldhouse next Thursday when the team welcomes Charlotte at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Rice
SMU
FG%
.383
.390
3FG%
.400
.375
FT%
.867
.667
RB
39
34
TO
16
13
STL
5
8
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09