BROOKINGS, S.D. (Interstat) — In a matchup that heavily favored the home team, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits used a dominant second quarter and a stellar performance from Brooklyn Meyer to overpower the Rice Owls 79 to 65 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Friday night at a raucous Frost Arena.

Playing before a crowd of 2,151, the Jackrabbits improved their early-season record to 2 wins and 0 losses, while the Owls begin their campaign at 0 wins and 1 loss. The outcome was largely in line with pregame projections, as Interstat’s ELO system had given South Dakota State a 96.80 percent probability of victory.

The game was a tale of offensive efficiency, or the lack thereof. While the final score shows a 14-point margin, the underlying statistics reveal a more profound disparity. South Dakota State scored its 79 points on just 76 possessions, resulting in a robust offensive rating of 103.7. Rice, by contrast, managed only 65 points despite having 85 possessions, translating to a meager offensive rating of 76.4. This stark difference in per-possession production was the defining narrative of the contest.

For much of the first quarter, the Owls appeared poised to challenge the oddsmakers. Both teams traded baskets and finished the opening period knotted at 16 points. The game’s trajectory, however, shifted decisively in the second quarter. The Jackrabbits tightened their defense and found an offensive rhythm, outscoring Rice 22 to 18 to take a 38 to 34 lead into halftime. That four-point advantage would only grow after the break.

South Dakota State maintained its pressure in the third quarter, adding another 19 points while holding Rice to 16, extending the lead to seven. The Jackrabbits then put the game firmly out of reach with a strong fourth quarter, matching their second-quarter output with 22 points against Rice’s 15 to seal the victory.

The Jackrabbits’ success was anchored by a commanding performance in the paint and a significant advantage at the free-throw line. South Dakota State attempted more than twice as many free throws as Rice, converting 25 of 34 attempts. Rice, meanwhile, was an efficient 13 of 15 from the line, but the sheer volume of the Jackrabbits’ attempts proved insurmountable. From the field, South Dakota State shot 25 of 59, while Rice struggled mightily, connecting on just 23 of 72 attempts.

Brooklyn Meyer, a 6-foot-2 forward from Larchwood, Iowa, was the undisputed star of the night. In 34 minutes of action, she recorded a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, adding four blocked shots to her stat line. Her presence on both ends of the floor overwhelmed the Owls’ defense and controlled the interior.

Meyer was complemented by a formidable frontcourt partner in Maggie Hartwig. The 6-foot-1 sophomore from Sauk City, Wisconsin, dominated the glass, pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds to go with four points and two blocks in 28 minutes. Her work on the boards was instrumental in limiting Rice’s second-chance opportunities, as the Owls managed only five offensive rebounds all game.

The Jackrabbits’ backcourt also delivered key contributions. Emilee Fox, a 5-foot-8 guard from Mount Vernon, South Dakota, provided a scoring punch with 13 points in 23 minutes. Fellow guard Mahli Abdouch of Sioux Falls chipped in 12 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Katie Vasecka, a 6-foot-2 player, rounded out the double-figure scorers for the home team with 14 points and four rebounds in 33 minutes.

For the visiting Owls, the backcourt duo of Dominique Ennis and Victoria Flores shouldered the scoring load. Ennis, a 5-foot-9 guard from Fort Erie, Canada, led Rice with 17 points and four rebounds. Flores, a 5-foot-7 guard from Dallas, Texas, added 16 points and four rebounds in 33 minutes. Hailey Adams, a 6-foot-1 player from San Antonio, matched Meyer’s rebounding total with 11 of her own, adding six points in 29 minutes.

Despite the loss, Rice’s schedule does not get any easier. The Owls immediately turn their attention to a crosstown rivalry game, traveling to face the Houston Cougars on Tuesday. South Dakota State, riding the momentum of a 2-0 start that includes a 78 to 62 road win at Creighton on Monday, will next head to Rapid City for a neutral-site game against Montana on Saturday.

The victory reinforces South Dakota State’s status as a formidable mid-major program, effectively leveraging its home-court advantage and superior efficiency to dispatch a Rice team that struggled to find its offensive footing throughout the night. The Jackrabbits’ balanced attack, led by Meyer’s standout performance, proved too much for the Owls to handle as the game progressed.