MEMPHIS – Lauren Schwartz (25 points) recorded her third consecutive game with 20 or more points and Katelyn Crosthwait added a career-high 20 points to help lead the Rice Owls women’s basketball team to an 85-75 victory over Delaware Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the WNIT.
The Owls (22-4) won their fourth consecutive game in the tournament by 10 or more points by shooting 54 percent from the field and making a season-high 22-of-28 (79 percent) at the free throw line. Rice never trailed in the contest and limited Delaware (24-5) to 33 percent shooting from the floor.
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Schwartz made 7-of-12 shots from the field and was a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line while Crosthwait knocked down 6-of-12 shots from the field, 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and was 4-of-4 at the free throw line.
Junior point guard Jasmine Smith added 17 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, all of which have come in the last five games. Senior guard Sydne Wiggins (11 points) also scored in double-figures and tied a career-high with seven assists. Senior center Nancy Mulkey led the Owls with 11 rebounds and three blocks and tied a career-high with five assists.
Rice will now face the winner of Ole Miss and Northern Iowa in the championship game, set for Sunday at 1 p.m. on FloHoops.com.