HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Rice Owls used a dominant fourth quarter and a game-high 19 points from Dominique Ennis to pull away from the UAB Blazers for a 76-56 victory in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Rice, which entered the game with a 94.4 percent win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, improved to 14-3 overall. UAB fell to 7-10.

The game’s most critical sequence came late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth, as Rice transformed a narrow lead into a comfortable one. Leading 52-50 entering the final period, the Owls opened the fourth on a 14-2 run, holding UAB to a single field goal over the first six and a half minutes. That surge, fueled by stifling defense and efficient offense, pushed the Rice advantage to 66-52 and effectively sealed the outcome.

The Owls’ separation was built on superior execution in key areas. They were a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line, while UAB struggled, making just 5 of 12. Rice also won the battle on the glass, securing 10 offensive rebounds to UAB’s five, and dished out 15 assists compared to just two for the Blazers. Rice’s offensive rating of 104.5 points per 100 possessions starkly outpaced UAB’s mark of 82.7.

Ennis, a guard from Niagara Falls, Canada, led all scorers, adding three assists in 37 minutes. She was complemented by forward Shelby Hayes of Cedar Park, Texas, who posted 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for a double-double. Guard Hailey Adams of San Antonio filled the stat sheet with 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Owls.

UAB was led by Monae Duffy of Lafayette, Louisiana, who scored 13 points. Eleecia Carter of Winter Garden, Florida, and Molly Moffitt of Seattle each added 11 points for the Blazers. Guard Sofia Munoz of Canovanas, Puerto Rico, accounted for five of her team’s two total assists.

The first half was a tightly contested affair. Rice established an early edge, closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run, capped by a Louann Battiston jumper off a UAB turnover, to lead 18-13. The Owls maintained that margin through the second quarter, taking a 34-26 lead into halftime after a pair of Hailey Adams free throws.

UAB showed fight in the third quarter, shooting 50 percent from the floor to keep pace. A 3-pointer from Sofia Munoz with 56 seconds left in the period brought the Blazers within two points at 52-50, setting the stage for Rice’s decisive final push.

The Owls’ fourth-quarter explosion featured balanced scoring and locked-down defense. After UAB’s Eleecia Carter opened the quarter with a jumper to tie the game at 52, Rice held the Blazers scoreless for over four minutes while reeling off nine straight points. The run included four points from Hayes and a critical 3-pointer from Dominique Ennis, assisted by Victoria Flores, that extended the lead to 64-52 with 5:38 remaining. UAB never threatened again.

Rice finished the game shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. UAB shot 41.8 percent overall and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, but its offensive flow was disrupted by Rice’s defense, resulting in only two assists and 12 turnovers.

The announced attendance was 885.

Rice next travels to face North Texas on Saturday. UAB continues its road trip at Tulane on Saturday.