HOUSTON (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Friday night when the surging Rice Owls host the struggling Wichita State Shockers in an American Athletic Conference women’s basketball matchup at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls (20-3, 9-1 AAC) enter as one of the league’s top teams, riding a seven-game winning streak that includes a tense 70-68 victory over North Texas on Tuesday. Rice has been dominant at home, boasting a 12-1 record in Houston this season. Conversely, the Shockers (5-20, 2-8) are mired in a difficult season, having lost four of their last five games. They are coming off a heartbreaking 79-77 overtime loss to Florida Atlantic on Tuesday, a game in which they squandered a late lead. The matchup features two key players in contrasting roles. Rice’s Aniah Alexis has been a consistent force, averaging 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds over her last six games, including a 16-point performance in the win over North Texas. Her versatility will be central to the Owls’ attack. For Wichita State, the burden falls heavily on guard Abby Cater, who is coming off a career-high 27-point effort in the overtime loss. Cater has shown explosive scoring potential, notably dropping 42 points in a win over Memphis on Jan. 20, but the Shockers have struggled to find consistent support around her. Rice won the season’s first meeting decisively, 76-56, in Wichita on Jan. 14. The Owls will look to replicate that defensive effort, which held Cater to just six points. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST Friday. Rice will aim to maintain its position near the top of the conference standings, while Wichita State seeks a desperately needed road upset to salvage momentum. Following this game, Rice hosts South Florida on Tuesday, while Wichita State returns home to face Texas-San Antonio on Feb. 21.