Rice Owls (11-3, 1-0 American) vs. Florida Atlantic Owls (6-7, 0-1 American)
Game 15 • Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 • 1:00 p.m. CT
Boca Raton, Florida • Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena
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Opening 2026 on the Road
Rice completes the Florida road stretch Saturday in Boca Raton against the Owls of Florida Atlantic. Rice will have its home conference opener on Wednesday against Charlotte.
Last Time Out
The Owls closed 2025 with a bang after emerging victorious for a 70-68 win over South Florida after a back-and-forth affair in the closing minutes at the Yuengling Center. Aniah Alexis led the Owls with 19 points, six rebounds, an assist and steal, while Dominique Ennis added 17 points, four rebounds, three steals and an assist.
Weekly Honors
Rice freshman guard Mylee Guinn collected her first career conference honor, being named the American Conference Freshman of the Week. Senior center Shelby Hayes also earned recognition, being named to the Honorable Mention. Guinn is coming off a 10-point showing, featuring a trio of three-pointers, with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in Rice’s win over HCU. Guinn also had eight points, a rebound, assist, block and steal on the road in a win over Grambling.
Ennis Etched in Record Books
Dominique Ennis became the program’s all-time three-point leader during Rice’s win over UNLV and currently has 202 career threes. Ennis snaps Nicole Iademarco’s record of 198, who was on the team from 2016-19. Ennis’s 80 three-pointers last season set the program’s single-season record.
Dom Reaches 1,000
Dominique Ennis became the 27th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points in Rice’s overtime win against Illinois State. She is now the third player under Coach Edmonds to reach the milestone, with Ennis’ 1,027 points ranking 22nd in program history.
Perfect Night for Flores
Victoria Flores was a perfect 16-of-16 from the free throw line in Rice’s 70-56 win on the road over Houston. Flores’ 16 made free throws are the third most in a single game in school history (record – 18-18 by Holly Jones in 1985).
Rice vs. Florida Atlantic
This is the 13th meeting in the series, with Rice holding an 8-4 series lead. Rice won the most recent meeting 72-39 in Houston, but Florida Atlantic has won the last two meetings in Boca Raton.
Non-conference Schedule
Rice’s non-conference features seven teams that made postseason appearances last season, with South Dakota State and Princeton making the NCAA Tournament. Middle Tennessee and UNLV both played in the WBIT, while Incarnate Word, Illinois State (Fab Four) and UT Arlington were all in the WNIT.
Preseason Honors
Three Owls earned preseason All-Conference honors with Dominique Ennis (First Team), Aniah Alexis (Second Team) and Victoria Flores (Second Team) all earning recognition. Rice was selected third in the American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Adams Named Servant Leader
Hailey Adams was one of 64 women’s basketball athletes in the nation selected to be a Kay Yow Servant Leader Award winner, a prestigious award honoring student athletes who exemplify the values of leadership, selflessness, and service.
Year Five
Shelley Pennington and Friends Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds enters her fifth year at the helm for Rice. Already the fastest coach to win a conference title in program history, the Owls are fresh off back-to-back appearances in the American Conference Championship game, claiming the title in 2024.
