San Marcos, Texas – Texas State had 20+ points from Diamond Ford for the third straight game, but it was not enough as the Bobcats dropped its first game of the season, 73-61 to Rice, Tuesday night at Strahan Coliseum. Ford finished with 25 points, setting her season-high.

Jasmine Baugus led the Bobcats early on after the team got down 12-5. She blocked a shot and hit a straight away three-pointer to tie the game at 12 as part of a 9-0 run that saw Texas State take a brief 14-12 lead. Baugus finished the game with 15 points and eight rebounds.

The lead went back-and-forth until the later minutes of the first half when Rice went on an 11-0 run to take a 39-28 lead into the half. Jessica Goswitz of Rice was the leader for the Owls, hitting three three-point field goals in the first, her last being from the top of the arc, making it 37-28 at the time.

Texas State came out of the half on fire with two straight three-pointers to cut the Owl lead to 39-34. Rice was able to respond thanks to Jessica Kuster using her size to post up and hit a turn-around jumper for two of her game-high 26 points, as Rice put the lead back to 51-40.

The two teams traded baskets the rest of the way, with the Bobcats only able to get as close as 61-52.

Next up for the Bobcats, will be the first Big 12 team to come to Strahan Coliseum since 1999 against Baylor, when the team hosts TCU on Sunday at 3:00 p.m.