Preview: UAB at Rice Women’s Basketball

HOUSTON (Interstat) — A surging Rice squad looks to continue its dominant start to American Athletic Conference play when it hosts a struggling UAB team on Wednesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Owls (13-3) have won five straight games, including a decisive 84-59 victory over Charlotte last Wednesday to open their conference schedule. Rice has been formidable at home, boasting a 7-1 record in Houston this season.

UAB (7-9) seeks to halt a four-game losing skid, all coming against conference opponents. The Blazers fell 70-63 to Florida Atlantic at home last Saturday. Their last victory was a 65-49 win over Samford on Dec. 22.

Rice’s success has been fueled by efficient offense and balanced scoring. Guard Victoria Flores enters as a key player to watch, averaging 13.5 points per game. She is coming off a 20-point performance against Charlotte and scored 21 points with six assists in a win at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 3.

For UAB, guard Sofia Muñoz has been a consistent bright spot during the losing streak. She leads the team in scoring at 13.1 points per game and is coming off a 16-point effort in the loss to Florida Atlantic. Over her last five games, Muñoz has averaged 14.6 points.

The matchup presents a stark contrast in momentum. Rice has won its conference games by an average margin of 14.5 points. UAB’s four conference losses, however, have been by an average of just 6.5 points, including an 87-88 overtime defeat at East Carolina.

Rice’s Louann Battiston, who scored 20 points alongside Flores against Charlotte, and UAB’s Molly Moffitt, who had 15 points last Saturday, provide additional offensive threats.

This game marks the first meeting between the programs as American Athletic Conference foes. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Wednesday.

Following this game, Rice will travel to face North Texas on Saturday. UAB will continue its road trip at Tulane on Saturday.