RUSTON, La. – One game after its best offensive performance of the year, Louisiana Tech saw one of its toughest as the Lady Techsters fell 60-47 to the Rice Owls Thursday night at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Tech (9-6, 1-3 C-USA) shot just 26 percent from the field and hit just 3-of-21 three-pointers as the defending C-USA champion Owls (10-6, 5-0 C-USA) won their 21^st straight regular season league contest.

Despite playing without reigning C-USA Player of the Year Erica Ogwumike, Rice was able to jump out to a 21-10 first quarter lead and never looked back. The Owls kept a double figure lead, building as much as a 17-point advantage in the second half, until the Lady Techsters made a late push.

"We really set a bad tone in the first quarter," said Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr. "I don't know if we relaxed because Ogwumike was out, but we sure didn't play with the urgency and energy we needed. We allowed them to get comfortable without their leader on the floor."

Raizel Guinto's three-pointer with just 2:47 to play in the game brought Tech to within 53-45, the first time the deficit had been single digits since Tech trailed 19-10 late in the first quarter.

Tech had a few opportunities to close the deficit down more but missed its last seven shots of the game as the Owls pulled away for the win.

Tech hit just 17-of-65 field goals in the contest, one game after shooting a season-high 54 percent in its win over UTEP Saturday.

Tech recorded only 10 turnovers in the contest while forcing 23 by Rice, but the Owls offset that by shooting 50 percent (24-48) from the field and outrebounding the Lady Techsters 46-32.

Keiunna Walker led Tech with 15 points.

The Lady Techsters return to action Saturday when they face North Texas in Denton at 3 p.m.