Preview: Temple Owls at Rice Owls

HOUSTON (Interstat) — A clash of American Athletic Conference Owls will see two teams on vastly different trajectories meet Wednesday when Temple visits Rice in a women’s basketball matchup at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Rice Owls (16-3, 6-1 AAC), receiving votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll, have established themselves as a conference powerhouse, riding a six-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Temple Owls (9-10, 3-4) have struggled for consistency but are coming off a dramatic 83-82 home victory over Charlotte last Saturday.

That Temple win was fueled by a spectacular performance from guard Tristen Taylor, who poured in 32 points and dished out six assists. Taylor has been a bellwether for Temple; in the team’s three conference wins, she has averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists, compared to just 10.5 points in their four league losses. Her scoring burst will be essential against a stout Rice defense.

Rice counters with its own standout, forward Aniah Alexis, who is coming off a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double in the win over Tulane. Alexis provides a versatile inside-out threat for a balanced Rice attack that has won its conference games by an average of 14.8 points. The team’s only AAC blemish was a narrow 70-68 road win at South Florida on Dec. 30, underscoring their ability to close in tight contests.

The home-court advantage at Tudor Fieldhouse has been significant, with Rice boasting a 9-1 record on its own floor this season. Temple, just 2-6 in true road games, will need to overcome that trend to spring an upset.

Defensively, Rice will aim to contain Taylor and force other Temple players to beat them. For Temple, slowing the methodical Rice offense and finding a way to limit Alexis in the paint will be critical. The rematch is set for Feb. 25 in Philadelphia, adding a layer of division standing implications to this first meeting.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Wednesday in Houston.