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Jessica Kuster is Rice’s all-time scoring record holder in basketball.
Kuster Ends Record-Setting Reign at Rice Senior Jessica Kuster, a 6-foot-2-inch forward for the Rice women’s basketball team, may be graduating and leaving campus in May, but her legacy on the court will be a part of Rice’s history and its record books forever.
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ince joining the Lady Owls in 2010, Kuster’s game plan has been breaking and setting records. While all achievements are memorable, Kuster hit a shot in late January that put her points scored at 1,852, breaking the previous record of 1,851 set by Pat Krieger ’82 in the same number of games. With the season now complete, coach Greg Williams summed up Kuster’s contributions: “I don’t think there’s any argument she’s the best player to play at Rice in women’s basketball history. She’s left a legacy and mark on the basketball program that will always be remembered.” And here are just a few reasons why. Kuster set the Rice basketball all-time scoring record (men’s or women’s) with 2,081 career points, as well as the women’s alltime rebounding mark (1,376), becoming just the 145th player in NCAA Division I history to amass more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
She was the first player in C-USA history to be named to both the All-Conference First Team and All-Defensive Team in four consecutive seasons. During the 2013–14 season, Kuster averaged 20.9 points and 13.4 rebounds per game en route to a career-best 26 double-doubles. Her 628 points and 400 rebounds were both Rice single-season records, making Kuster the Owls’ all-time leader in career points, rebounds, made field goals and made free throws. Kuster was named the team’s MVP four consecutive seasons, becoming the first player in history to do so. Kuster will earn an economics degree in May. And then? “I am praying for the opportunity to continue playing. If that were to be in the U.S., that would be awesome,” she said, a week before the WNBA draft. “I’m pretty open to possibilities.” See more: ricemagazine.info/200. —tracey rhoades s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 | R i c e M a g a z i n e 11