Women's basketball wins season home opener

Photo by Courtesy Rice Athletic Communications | The Rice Thresher

Freshman guard Shani Rainey dribbles past a defender during a 70-58 victory over Prairie View A&M University. Rainey scored 21 points in her collegiate debut, good for second on the team. The Owls are now 1-0 on the season and will next face No. 5 Texas A&M University on Nov. 19.

By Maddy Adams 11/25/14 8:33am

Rice University women’s basketball opened its 2014-15 season at home on Friday, Nov. 14. Rice faced off against Prairie View A&M University (0-1), and bested the Panthers with a final score of 70-58. Rice is now 1-0 on the season, 12-3 all-time against Prairie View and 29-8 all-time in season openers.

Sophomore forward Jasmine Goodwine and freshman guard Shani Rainey led the Owls in points, with 22 and 21 points, respectively. The underclassmen pair combined to score 43 of the Owls’ 70 points in the game. Goodwine also garnered a career-high 10 rebounds, marking the first double-double of her career. Rainey followed Goodwine with 21 points and eight rebounds in her first game of collegiate basketball. Rainey also chipped in four assists during her 32 minutes of play.

Veteran upperclassmen, including senior post player Christal Porter and senior guards Reem Moussa and Nakachi Maduka, also contributed to Friday’s win. Porter pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds in 30 minutes of play, while Moussa managed to rack up nine points, six rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes of play, and Maduka earned eight points and two rebounds in 26 minutes of play.

The Owls will next travel to College Station to face off against the Associated Press No. 5 Texas A&M University on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. The Aggies are 4-0 on the season and coming off a victory in the Maggie Dixon Classic Tournament in Chicago, Illinois.