BOX SCORE   SEASON STATS

HOUSTON (SMU) – The Mustangs fell on the road to the Rice Owls, 66-52, in non-conference action on Saturday inside Tudor Fieldhouse.
 
Kayla White led the Mustangs with a career-high 22 points on the night. The freshman chipped in five rebounds and four assists as she led the Mustangs in minutes. White had 12 points at the half as the Mustangs trailed by 24 after the first two periods. 
 
Alicia Froling's 10-point third quarter helped the Mustangs cut into the Owl lead as the Mustangs went on a 10-0 run near the middle of the period. Froling finished the game with 12 points and added three blocks on the night with 5-of-8 shooting. SMU outscored Rice 24-19 in the quarter.
 
The Mustangs would hold the Owls to seven fourth-quarter points but were unable to erase the deficit. SMU was able to whittle a 29-point Owl lead down to the 14-point margin at the game's close. The Mustangs defense held Rice without a field goal for the final 6:34 forcing four Owl turnovers over the stretch.
 
Makenzie Ellis set her career high at SMU with a five-assist game, topping the team. Ellis also added six rebounds and two steals in the effort as she started her second straight game.
 
The Owls were led by Erica Ogwumike who scored 18 points and finished with 13 rebounds.
 
With the win, Rice leads the all-time series with SMU 35-33. The Owls improve to 7-2 on the season and the Mustangs fall to 5-5.
 
Next up, the Mustangs will return to their home floor for a three-game homestand. SMU faces CSU-Bakersfield on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before facing Oklahoma on Saturday at 2 p.m. The final non-conference game is set for Dec. 29 against UT-Arlington.