Rice Basketball starts conference play on Thursday with the men and women each taking on Marshall. The women are at home. Here’s a preview of both games.
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+
Marshall 6-7 (0-0), Last 5 (4-1)
- 86-50 (W) vs Bluefield State
- 89-62 (W) at Morehead State
- 90-72 (W) vs Eastern Kentucky
- 88-80 (L) at Northern Iowa
- 83-61 (W) at Duquesne
Rice 8-5 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)
- 77-69 (W) vs ECU
- 73-60 (L) vs Lamar
- 96-84 (W) vs HBU
- 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
- 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
Marshall players to watch
The Thundering Herd are still trying to figure out how to replace Conference USA’s all-time leading scorer, Jon Elmore. So far, they’ve relied on a combo of Jarrod West and Taevion Kinsey to carry the load. Both are playing upwards of 34 minutes per game while averaging north of 14 points.
Rice keys to victory
Marshall is one of the best rebounding teams in Conference USA. Six different players have 48 or more boards through 13 games and nine have posted more than 30 rebounds this season. Winning on the offensive glass has been a struggle for Rice basketball this season. The Owls are 11th in C-USA with 9.4 offensive rebounds per game. The Owls should be able to shoot with Marshall, but giving their opponents too many extra chances could snowball on them quickly.
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV
Marshall 5-6 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)
- 85-41 (W) vs Alderson-Broaddus
- 72-60 (W) vs Indiana State
- 82-69 (L) vs Bowling Green
- 66-41 (L) at Rutgers
- 59-56 (L) at Towson
Rice 5-6 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)
- 71-57 (W) vs Northern Arizona
- 63-56 (L) at Texas Southern
- 77-55 (W) vs Prairie View A&M
- 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
- 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
Marshall players to watch
Freshman guard Savannah Wheeler has been a breath of fresh air for the Marshall frontcourt. She’s scored in double-digits in 11 of her first 13 collegiate games, posting 18 in her debut against Kentucky Christian. She’s dangerous from deep, as it Taylor Pearson who leads the team with a .400-clip from three.
Rice keys to victory
Rice can’t allow any frustration from their tough start to linger in their first game back in Houston following a disappointing Puerto Rico trip. Marshall is third in C-USA in assists and second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio. They don’t make a lot of mistakes and work to find open shooters. Rice will have the size advantage and plenty of quickness on the wings. They need to use it.
