University of North Texas Athletics
University of North Texas
13-11,7-5American
Rice
21-3,11-0American
Women’s Basketball Drops Back-and-Forth Contest at Rice
2/10/2026 11:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HOUSTON – The UNT women's basketball team nearly handed Rice its first loss since November but ultimately fell, 70-68, Tuesday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.
North Texas (13-11, 7-5 American) led for over half the game and built a 12-point lead midway through the third quarter thanks to dominant inside play that resulted in 40 paint points and a plus-15 rebound advantage. Forwards Megan Nestor and Tionna Lidge were crucial in that effort, as Nestor corralled her 15th double double with 14 points and 15 rebounds alongside Lidge's 8-point, 8-rebound performance. Nestor also added four assists, two steals and a block.
Aysia Proctor continued her stellar run through conference play as well, scoring a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She has now reached double-digit scoring in eight of the team's 12 league games.
"We competed well tonight," said head coach Jason Burton. "I love where we're at as a team. This team right here is putting itself in a position to end this season on a high note. We'll get back to Denton, Texas, with four out of our last six games at home and get ready to take care of the Super Pit."
Winners of 16 consecutive games, Rice forced 22 Mean Green turnovers and sank nine three-pointers to secure the comeback victory. The Owl defense stepped up when it mattered most, stopping UNT on back-to-back possessions with a chance to take the lead in the game's final seconds.
The Mean Green begin a two-game homestand Saturday against Tulane, a rematch from UNT's 59-53 victory back on Jan. 10. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ while Sam Kaman provides radio coverage through the Varsity Network App.
