Rice loses to Aggies 62-61 on Cierra Johnson basket in closing seconds

POSTED: November 17, 2019 -- 11:13 p.m. CST

HOUSTON, TX (Tudor Fieldhouse) -- The Rice Owls battled the 5th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (3-0) for 40 minutes Sunday afternoon; but, in the final seconds, Texas A&M center Cierra Johnson scored the game-winning points on a putback layup to hand the Owls a 62-61 loss to the Aggies.

Johnson rebounded a corner three-point shot attempt by teammate Shambria Washington and scored the game-winner.

"We got a timely offensive board," Gary Blair, Texas A&M Head Coach said of Johnson's rebound. "And, instead of being a rim shooter, she was smart enough to use the glass."

Rice did not a timeout; so, Rice inbounded the ball quickly; raced up the court; and, after the ball got away, Rice junior guard Sydne Wiggins launched a long jumper that fell short of the rim to clinch the win for Texas A&M.

Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M junior All-American, scored a game-high 29 points. Carter only made 3 of her 13 field goal attempts in the second half; however, she played stellar 1-on-1 defense in the fourth quarter -- except when she was beaten by Erica Ogwumike in the closing seconds. With 23 seconds remaining in the game, Ogwumike scored a layup off an inbounds pass to put Rice ahead 61-60.

"Chennedy's defense the last seven minutes on Ogwumike was the difference in the game," Coach Blair commented after the game.

A&M's Kayla Wells scored 19 points in nearly 29 minutes of action.

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Carter and the Aggies limited Rice to 8 points in the fourth period. Rice (2-2 this season) scored 24 points in the third quarter and led 53-49 after three periods.

"First, credit to Texas A&M, because they played great defense as well," Tina Langley, Rice Head Coach said. "But, I think our execution broke down a little at the end. It, obviously, got very physical. We needed to rise to that a little bit more.

"I just think, execution at the end of the game, could have been a little bit better," Langley concluded.

Texas A&M's defense and foul trouble limited Oguwmike to 27 minutes and 54 seconds of game action. She took only 7 field goal attempts and made three. She finished the game with 9 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Freshman forward Lauren Schwartz scored a team-high 19 points to lead the Owls.

"I got to owe it all to my teammates for having confidence in me," Schwartz said after the game.

Schwartz scored 12 of her 19 points in the third quarter as Rice outscored the Aggies 24-13 in the period.

Rice's Sydne Wiggins scored 13 points.

After the game, Coach Gary Blair credited Coach Langley for the success she's accomplished at Rice.

NEXT:

Rice's next game is Saturday, November 23, against Oklahoma State, in Stillwater, OK. Tip is set for 2 p.m., on ESPN+. Click this link to get ESPN+.

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