Friday, December 13
Houston, Texas
11:15 a.m.
Rice University
7-4,0-0AAC
89
vs
62
Texas Southern
1-7,0-0SWAC
1
2
3
4
F
Texas Southern
14
18
14
16
62
Rice
24
20
25
20
89
Hot-Shooting Powers Rice in Wire-to-Wire Win over TSU
12/13/2024 2:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON – The Rice women's basketball team bounced back in the win column after a wire-to-wire 89-62 win over Texas Southern with over 1,200 students in attendance for the Schoolhouse Mania game Friday at Tudor Fieldhouse. The win moves Rice to 7-4 on the season, while Texas Southern falls to 1-7.
Malia Fisher led the Owls with 19 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block, while Sussy Ngulefac added 12 points, four rebounds, one block and one steal. Emily Klaczek rounded out the Rice double-digit scorers with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. 12 Owls scored in the game.
As a team, Rice shot a season-best 32-of-58 (55.2%) from the floor and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from three-point range. The Owls added a season-best 20-of-22 (90.9%) showing from the free throw line. Rice scored 44 points off the bench.
Postgame Reaction – Shelley Pennington and Friends Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds
"That was fun. That was a fun game to be a part of, and fun to see the joy of our program in everything being celebrated. I really feel like that is what got us going. Even in the lulls that we had, that joy, our togetherness and our emotion were enough to pull us out of those little lulls that were in. Really fun game, and a lot of people came in and did a lot of great things, led by [Fisher and Ngulefac]. When you have these two on the floor it makes things a lot easier. Fun basketball game to be part of and to be back in the winning column."
For more of the post-game press conference, click here.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Klaczek opened the game with a layup and a three-pointer as the Owls used a 7-0 run out of the gates to take the lead. After TSU cut the deficit to one, Ngulefac and Shelby Hayes pushed the lead to five. Up by three, Fisher kickstarted an 8-0 run, with Hayes and Dominique Ennis also contributing. Aniah Alexis drilled a three-pointer with 36 seconds left in the quarter, with the Tigers adding a final score at the buzzer as Rice led 24-14.
Second Quarter
Ngulefac and Jazzy Owens-Barnett extended the lead to 14 to open the second, with Texas Southern responding to cut the lead to eight. Up by nine, a pair of Trinity Gooden free throws, followed by a Klaczek three, pushed the lead back to 14 points. The Owls led 44-32 at the half.
Third Quarter
After a Tiger run cut the Rice lead to seven to open the third quarter, Fisher's basket, followed by a Victoria Flores and-one conversion, pushed the lead to 12 points. Leading by 15, back-to-back Hailey Adams scores, followed by a Ngulefac three-point play, pushed the Rice lead to 22 points. Rice led 69-46 at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter
After trading scores early in the fourth, Fisher ignited a 9-0 run, with Ennis adding a three to Fisher's six points in the run. Klaczek extended the Rice lead to 30 points with a three of her own, with TSU responding with a 7-0 run. Kennedy Clifton had the last basket of the day in her return to the court, as Rice went on to win 89-62.
Quick Notes
Fisher had a season-high 19 points.
Fisher moves into 19th all-time in scoring at Rice.
Flores tied a career high with four rebounds.
Alexis had a career-high four assists and four steals.
Rice had a season-high 89 points and tied a season-high with 11 steals.
Rice moves to 15-9 all-time against Texas Southern and has won the last four meetings.
UP NEXT
Rice wraps up the non-conference slate next Wednesday at Georgia Tech.
Malia Fisher led the Owls with 19 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block, while Sussy Ngulefac added 12 points, four rebounds, one block and one steal. Emily Klaczek rounded out the Rice double-digit scorers with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists. 12 Owls scored in the game.
As a team, Rice shot a season-best 32-of-58 (55.2%) from the floor and 5-of-16 (31.3%) from three-point range. The Owls added a season-best 20-of-22 (90.9%) showing from the free throw line. Rice scored 44 points off the bench.
"That was fun. That was a fun game to be a part of, and fun to see the joy of our program in everything being celebrated. I really feel like that is what got us going. Even in the lulls that we had, that joy, our togetherness and our emotion were enough to pull us out of those little lulls that were in. Really fun game, and a lot of people came in and did a lot of great things, led by [Fisher and Ngulefac]. When you have these two on the floor it makes things a lot easier. Fun basketball game to be part of and to be back in the winning column."
For more of the post-game press conference, click here.
First Quarter
Klaczek opened the game with a layup and a three-pointer as the Owls used a 7-0 run out of the gates to take the lead. After TSU cut the deficit to one, Ngulefac and Shelby Hayes pushed the lead to five. Up by three, Fisher kickstarted an 8-0 run, with Hayes and Dominique Ennis also contributing. Aniah Alexis drilled a three-pointer with 36 seconds left in the quarter, with the Tigers adding a final score at the buzzer as Rice led 24-14.
Second Quarter
Ngulefac and Jazzy Owens-Barnett extended the lead to 14 to open the second, with Texas Southern responding to cut the lead to eight. Up by nine, a pair of Trinity Gooden free throws, followed by a Klaczek three, pushed the lead back to 14 points. The Owls led 44-32 at the half.
Third Quarter
After a Tiger run cut the Rice lead to seven to open the third quarter, Fisher's basket, followed by a Victoria Flores and-one conversion, pushed the lead to 12 points. Leading by 15, back-to-back Hailey Adams scores, followed by a Ngulefac three-point play, pushed the Rice lead to 22 points. Rice led 69-46 at the end of the third.
Fourth Quarter
After trading scores early in the fourth, Fisher ignited a 9-0 run, with Ennis adding a three to Fisher's six points in the run. Klaczek extended the Rice lead to 30 points with a three of her own, with TSU responding with a 7-0 run. Kennedy Clifton had the last basket of the day in her return to the court, as Rice went on to win 89-62.
Fisher had a season-high 19 points.
Fisher moves into 19th all-time in scoring at Rice.
Flores tied a career high with four rebounds.
Alexis had a career-high four assists and four steals.
Rice had a season-high 89 points and tied a season-high with 11 steals.
Rice moves to 15-9 all-time against Texas Southern and has won the last four meetings.
Rice wraps up the non-conference slate next Wednesday at Georgia Tech.
Team Stats
TSU
Rice
FG%
.316
.552
3FG%
.233
.313
FT%
.438
.909
RB
42
41
TO
16
15
STL
11
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWBB: Rice vs. Marshall Postgame Presser
Wednesday, March 09