Preview: Rice Owls at South Florida Bulls

TAMPA, Fla. (Interstat) — A surging Rice women’s basketball team visits a South Florida squad seeking consistency in an American Athletic Conference matchup Tuesday at the Sun Dome.

The Owls (10-3) enter on a five-game winning streak, most recently defeating Houston Christian 62-42 on Dec. 20. Rice has held opponents to 50.6 points per game during the streak, anchored by forward Shelby Hayes. Hayes is averaging 11.0 points and 6.6 rebounds over the last five contests, including an 18-point, 6-rebound performance against Houston Christian.

The Bulls (7-6) are coming off an 86-74 home win over Navy on Dec. 21 but have struggled against top competition, with lopsided losses to South Carolina, Connecticut and Vanderbilt in recent weeks. Forward Carla Brito provides a bright spot, coming off a dominant 21-point, 14-rebound, 5-assist effort against Navy. Her production, however, has fluctuated against stiffer defenses.

Rice’s defense, allowing just 56.2 points per game this season, will test a South Florida offense averaging 68.2 points. The Bulls’ results show a stark home-road split; all seven wins have come in Tampa, including a ranked victory over Duke on Nov. 20.

This game opens the conference slate for both teams. Rice aims to prove its strong non-conference record is no fluke, while South Florida looks to leverage home-court advantage to build momentum before a tough January schedule.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST Tuesday. Rice visits Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3, while South Florida hosts North Texas the same day.