Rice loses 79-74 at home to WKU

POSTED: December 29, 2022 -- 10:58 p.m. CST

HOUSTON, TX (Tudor Fieldhouse) -- The Rice Owls were outscored 28-14 in the fourth quarter and lost 79-74 to the WKU Hilltoppers Thursday night. Rice is now 9-2 overall this season and 0-2 in Conference USA.

WKU's shooting in the fourth quarter was extreme: the Hilltoppers were a perfect 6 for 6 on three-point attempts but a dismal 4 for 10 from the foul line. WKU guard Teresa Faustino struggled at the line going 2 for 10 including 0 for 6 in the final quarter.

Rice failed to capitalize on Faustino's free throw woes. The Owls made just 5 of 10 free throws in the 4th quarter.

Rice committed 7 turnovers in the fourth quarter and 20 turnovers in the ball game. WKU outscored Rice 21-9 in points off turnovers.

"We had 20 turnovers. They scored 21 points off our turnovers," Lindsay Edmonds, Rice Head Coach said after the game. "We missed 8 free throws. I feel like we probably missed 8 layups."

Rice and WKU took turns shooting the ball well and also shooting the ball poorly.

The Owls shot lights out in the first quarter while WKU shot lights out in the 2nd and 4th quarters.

Rice senior Ashlee Austin scored 9 points in the first quarter. Rice made 10 of 13 field goals in the opening 10 minutes and led 26-16 at the end of the first period. Katelyn Crosthwait added 8 points in the first for Rice.

WKU made 10 of 15 field goal attempts in the 2nd stanza and outscored Rice 26-17 in the quarter. Ashlee Austin's basket in the final seconds put Rice on top 43-42 at halftime.

Both teams struggled to make shots in the third quarter. Rice made just 1 of 7 three-point attempts in the third and shot 7 for 20 overall in the quarter. WKU shot 1 for 9 from three in the third and only 4 for 19 overall in the quarter.

Rice led 60-51 after three quarters. Rice sophomore Malia Fisher sank two free throws to start the scoring in the 4th. Then, WKU went bonkers from 3.

WKU made 5 three-pointers in a 3 minute, 40 second span to outscore Rice 15-2 to lead 66-64 with 6:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Neither team scored until Malia Fisher sank a jumper to tie the game at 66 with 3:31 remaining in the game. Each team committed a turnover before WKU's Macey Blevins sank, you guessed it, another three-pointer for a 69-66 WKU lead with 2:57 on the game clock.

Rice tied the game at 71 on a three-point bucket by Katelyn Crosthwait with 2:07 to go in the contest. On WKU's next possession, Ashlee Austin stole the ball with 96 seconds on the clock. Rice senior guard Destiny Jackson was fouled. Jackson, an 80 percent-plus free-throw shooter, missed the first free throw and made the second.

Rice led 72-71 with 80 seconds left in the game. WKU guard Acacia Hayes hit a pull-up jumper in the paint for a 73-72 lead. Then, Hayes stole the ball from Jackson and Josie Gilvin scored a transition layup. Rice trailed 75-72 with 49 seconds remaining.

Jackson missed a game-tying three-point shot attempt; and, Rice was forced to foul. Teresa Faustino missed her fifth and sixth free throws in the fourth to give Rice hope with 28 seconds remaining. Rice called timeout to advance the ball into the frontcourt and set up a play.

After the timeout, Ashlee Austin got the ball and drove into the paint. The ball bounced off her foot for a turnover. Macey Blevins was fouled and sank both free throws for a 77-72 WKU lead with 13 seconds left in the game.

The Owls called their final timeout. After the timeout, the Owls seemed confused before Destiny Jackson scored a layup with just 7 seconds to go in the game. Crosthwait committed her fifth foul and Acacia Hayes made both foul shots to ice the game for the Hilltoppers.

Rice shot 50.0% (26 for 52) from the floor in the game; but, turnovers, missed free throws, and defensive lapses cost the Owls the victory.

"Our defense was very lackluster. First half we couldn't contain penetration and second half we couldn't defend the three," Coach Edmonds said.

"We looked like we didn't know what a ball screen coverage was. A lot of things we need to clean up before coming back Saturday and playing a very good UTEP team. [We] go up 12 twice and instead of keeping our foot on the gas, we let them back in the game. Disappointed in our focus and intensity and our inability to put together a 40-minute game."

Austin and Crosthwait each scored 16 to lead Rice. Destiny Jackson and freshman Kennedy Clifton were next with 12 points each. Jaylin Foster and Maya Meredith each scored 15 to lead WKU.

NEXT:

Rice hosts UTEP on Saturday, December 31, at 2 p.m., on CUSAtv.

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