Nancy Mulkey scored 20 points, Erica Ogwumike added 15 points and 10 rebounds and No. 24 Rice pulled away from ninth-seeded North Texas for its 19th straight victory on Thursday, 61-43 in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament.
Nancy Mulkey scored 18 of her 24 points in the second half and No. 25 Rice celebrated its first-ever Top 25 ranking by rallying for a 59-47 win over North Texas on Saturday, clinching the Conference USA title and its 16th-straight win.
Forward Eboniey Jeter, who led the North Texas Mean Green women's basketball squad in shooting percentage last season, has been found dead in her dorm room. She was 21.
Former North Texas women's basketball player Jalie Mitchell is returning to her alma mater as coach.
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 16-0 | - | 28-4 |
| UAB | 12-4 | 4 | 26-7 |
| Middle Tennessee | 11-5 | 5 | 23-11 |
| Western Kentucky | 11-5 | 5 | 20-15 |
| Old Dominion | 10-6 | 6 | 21-11 |
| Marshall | 10-6 | 6 | 17-15 |
| Charlotte | 9-7 | 7 | 18-13 |
| Southern Miss | 9-7 | 7 | 18-14 |
| North Texas | 7-9 | 9 | 18-16 |
| Louisiana Tech | 6-10 | 10 | 14-16 |
| UTEP | 5-11 | 11 | 9-22 |
| UTSA | 2-14 | 14 | 7-21 |
| Florida International | 2-14 | 14 | 5-24 |
| Florida Atlantic | 2-14 | 14 | 5-25 |
