The Rice men's and women's basketball teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament with double-digit victories in Frisco, Texas, before being eliminated.
The women rolled past Marshall University 82-60 March 9 behind Ashlee Austin's team-high 19 points, which led five Owls in double figures. Malia Fisher had 17 points and 16 rebounds, and Maya Bokunewicz added 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Owls' run ended the next day, however, with a 59-53 loss to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Rice dropped to 14-13.
The men claimed a 73-61 victory over Charlotte March 9. Carl Pierre led the way with 16 points. Max Fielder added 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Chris Mullins (13 points, six rebounds) became the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 points, 300 rebounds and 250 assists in a career.
The Owls came up short the next day against the University of North Texas, losing 68-50. They fell to 16-16 but received a berth in the College Basketball Invitational, where they will face Ohio University in a first-round matchup March 19 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Rice last appeared in the event in 2017.
For more on Rice basketball, visit RiceOwls.com.