DALLAS – Conference USA lifted the lid on its 2019-20 conference slate last week. Rice came away with a pair of wins at Tudor Fieldhouse powered by two double-doubles from C-USA Player of the Week Erica Ogwumike. The Owls’ Lauren Schwartz was also recognized as Co-Freshman of the Week along with UTSA guard Mikayla Woods. Both newcomers received the nod for the second time this season. All C-USA weekly awards are presented by Top of the World.

Player of the Week
Erica Ogwumike, Rice
Senior, 5-9, G, Cypress, Texas
Ogwumike’s pair of double-doubles guided Rice (7-6, 2-0) to its 20^th and 21^st-consecutive conference victories. The senior averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the floor in a 38-point takedown of Marshall and an eight-point edge of WKU in Houston. The senior guard opened C-USA action with a game-high 14 points and 12 boards against the Thundering Herd, chipping in an assist and a block in 26 minutes. Ogwumike was on the court for the full 40 against the Lady Toppers as she stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points and a game-best 12 rebounds. She sunk 6-of-10 field goal shots and added two assists, two blocks and a steal in the balanced performance.
 
Co-Freshman of the Week
Lauren Schwartz, Rice
Freshman, 5-11, W, Union, Ky.
Schwartz capped the first week of conference action with a career-high 21 points against a tough WKU squad. She drained 6-of-11 field goal buckets and hit eight of her 11 attempts from the charity stripe in 38 minutes. She also pulled down four rebounds, and grabbed two steals and a block on the defensive end. Prior to the Owls’ second win, the newcomer registered 26 minutes against Marshall, where she found six points and six rebounds to pair with an assist, block and steal.
 
Co-Freshman of the Week
Mikayla Woods, UTSA
Freshman, 5-6, G, Pflugerville, Texas
UTSA’s (5-8, 1-1) top scorer unloaded for an average 17 points on a 50 percent shooting clip (12-24) from the floor as the Roadrunners split their first two home conference matchups. The guard racked up 23 points, seven boards, two steals and two assists in nearly 40 minutes against Florida Atlantic. Woods then found all 11 of her points against FIU in the second half to push UTSA past the Panthers. The Texas product dished out two assists, seven rebounds and a steal in the effort, needing just 28 minutes to do so.  

C-USA Players of the Week
N11        Anastasia Hayes, Middle Tennessee | Miyah Barnes, UAB
N18        Ajah Wayne, Old Dominion
N25        Crystal Primm, Florida Atlantic
D2           Raneem Elgedawy, WKU
D9           Dee Givens, WKU
D16        Angela Vendrell, UAB
D23        Jade Phillips, Charlotte
D30        Charity Savage, Middle Tennessee
J6            Erica Ogwumike, Rice

C-USA Freshmen of the Week
N11        Savannah Wheeler, Marshall
N18        Lauren Schwartz, Rice
N25        Aislynn Hayes, Middle Tennessee
D2           Arina Khlapkova, UTEP
D9           Mikayla Woods, UTSA
D16        Lotta Vehka-Aho, Florida Atlantic
D23        Aislynn Hayes, Middle Tennessee | Adryana Quezada, UTSA
D30        Aislynn Hayes, Middle Tennessee
J6            Lauren Schwartz, Rice | Mikayla Woods, UTSA