RICE (4-1) at GONZAGA (2-2)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 | 6 P.M. | McCARTHEY ATHLETIC CENTER (6,000)
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THE TIPOFF
- The Gonzaga women's basketball team hosts the Rice Owls this Thursday, Nov. 21.
- Gonzaga is coming off a 62-51 win over Wyoming. Ines Bettencourt had a career-high 17 points as Yvonne Ejim posted her 27th double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
- Yvonne Ejim has a chance to make history in the record books. She currently has 1,728 career points and is 437 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record. She has recorded 27 double doubles in her career and has scored double digits in 46-straight games.
- Allie Turner has made a huge impact as a freshman already this season. She ranks first in the nation in three-points made and No. 9 in scoring (16.3 ppg) among freshmen. Turner is also the first true freshman to score 20 points in a game since Courtney Vandersloot. 
- Ejim leads the Zags with 17.3 points and 9.3 rebounds a game this season.
- Gonzaga is shooting at 44.8% from beyond the arc to rank eighth nationally and first in the WCC.  
- As a team, GU has a rebound margin of +9.5 in the three games played and average 36.3.
- Both Allie Turner and Claire O'Connor have made a three-pointer in every game this season.
- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 267-65 in her career. Among active Division I coaches, she is seventh in winning percentage at 80.4%. 
- The Bulldogs were picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference in preseason polls for the third-straight season. Ejim and Maud Huijbens were named to the All-WCC Preseason Team.
- Gonzaga is receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.
- Yvonne Ejim has been named to multiple preseason watch lists including the Wade Trophy Award, Wooden Award Preseason Team, Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year, the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, and Becky Hammon Player of the Year.
- Lisa Fortier was named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Coach of the Year preseason watch list after she had won the award last season.
- The Bulldogs are coming off a historical season after advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in program history. GU finished with 32 wins last year, which was the most in a season as the team earned a top four seed into the NCAA Tournament. 
- Last season, Yvonne Ejim was named an AP All-American Honorable Mention, Naismith POY Watch List, Katrina McClain Top 5 Power Forward Finalist, the Wade Trophy Watch List along winning the Becky Hammon Player of the Year, WCC Player of the Year and WCC Defensive Player of the Year. 
- Lisa Fortier was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award as she led the Zags to its 15th overall NCAA appearance last year.

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: Gonzaga leads 1-0     
LAST MEETING: Gonzaga won 80-72 on December 9, 2023, in Houston, Texas.    

SCOUTING THE OWLS
- The Owls head on the road for the first time this
season Thursday night at Gonzaga. Dominique Ennis leads Rice in scoring with 12.8 points a game.
- Rice used timely three-pointers down the stretch to hold off Sam Houston 65-60 Sunday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse. The win gives Rice its fourth
consecutive to move to 4-1 on the season.
- Rice was picked tied for second in the AAC Preseason Coaches Poll. South Florida was the preseason favorite (eight first-place votes), while North Texas (three votes) and Rice (two votes) were tied for second.
- Malia Fisher was named the 2024-25 AAC Preseason All-Conference First Team after leading the Owls to the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Fisher was an AAC Third Team selection and AAC All-Tournament MVP last season.

EJIM SWEEPS PRESEASON HONORS
- Yvonne Ejim has been named to multiple preseason watch lists including the Wade Trophy Award, Wooden Award Preseason Team, Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year, the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, and Becky Hammon Player of the Year.
- Last season, Yvonne Ejim was named an AP All-American Honorable Mention, Naismith POY Watch List, Katrina McClain Top 5 Power Forward Finalist, the Wade Trophy Watch List along winning the Becky Hammon Player of the Year, WCC Player of the Year and WCC Defensive Player of the Year. 
- Off the court, Ejim was named the first Academic All-American in women's basketball history. She was also tabbed with WBCA All-American Honorable Mention
- During the offseason, Ejim made history as she was named to the Canadian National Team who played in the Olympics in Paris. Her team played three games in the Olympics as she fulfilled a lifelong dream of representing her country at the biggest stage.
-Ejim currently has 1,728 career points and is 437 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record. She now sits at fourth of all-time at Gonzaga in scoring, passing Ivy Safranski (1,702 points, 1991-95) and Jessica Malone (1,703 points, 1998-2002).