The Rice men’s and women’s basketball teams each advanced to the second rounds of their respective postseason tournaments after pulling out first-round wins over the weekend.
The women’s team (23-8) led wire-to-wire to defeat Brigham Young University 71-67 in the opening round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament on March 17 in Provo, Utah. Dominique Ennis led the way with 13 points for Rice, with India Bellamy adding another 12 points. Four Owls finished the game with double-digit points.
The men’s team (19-15) shot 57.1% from the field to defeat Duquesne University 84-78 in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational on March 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Quincy Olivari led the way with 19 points.
The women’s team will face the University of Oregon in the second round of the WNIT in Eugene, Oregon, and the men’s team is set to face Southern Utah University in the CBI quarterfinals in Daytona Beach. Both games are March 20.