Rice Basketball is five games into conference play with the men 1-4 and the women 5-0. Both teams take on Southern Miss next. Here’s a preview of those games.
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Reed Green Coliseum
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)
Southern Miss 4-14 (0-5), Last 5 (0-5)
- 80-49 (L) vs LA Tech
- 78-50 (L) at LA Tech
- 76-64 (L) at UTEP
- 80-70 (L) at UTSA
- 72-52 (L) vs North Texas
Rice 9-9 (1-4), Last 5 (1-4)
- 89-69 (L) at Marshall
- 66-61 (L) at WKU
- 81-76 (L) vs FAU
- 92-78 (W) vs FIU
- 72-56 (L) at LA Tech
Southern Miss statistical leaders
- Scoring | Gabe Watson – 13.3 per game
- Rebounds | Leonard Harper-Baker – 7.3 per game
- Assists | Jay Malone – 4.0 per game
- Steals | Leonard Harper-Baker – 1.8 per game
- Blocks | Leonard Harper-Baker – 0.3 per game
Rice keys to victory
Southern Miss has plagued by poor offensive possessions all season. It’s not just a shooting issue — Southern Miss is middle of the pack there — it’s the turnovers. The Golden Eagles are 13th in C-USA in turnover margin and have just one game of fewer than 30 turnovers in their last eight contests. Rice will get opportunities. They’ll have to take advantage of them.
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV
Southern Miss 11-4 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)
- 71-59 (W) vs Faulkner
- 66-60 (W) vs LA Tech
- 89-72 (L) vs UTEP
- 82-65 (W) vs UTSA
- 66-57 (W) at North Texas
Rice 10-6 (5-0), Last 5 (5-0)
- 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
- 73-65 (W) vs WKU
- 78-69 (W) at FAU
- 68-47 (W) at FIU
- 60-47 (W) vs LA Tech
Southern Miss statistical leaders
- Scoring | Shonte Hailes – 16.9 per game
- Rebounds | Respect Leaphart – 5.5 per game
- Assists | Daishai Almond – 3.7 per game
- Steals | Alarie Mayze – 2.3 per game
- Blocks | Amber Landing – 1.8 per game
Rice keys to victory
The defensive end of the court will continue to be the bedrock of this team, especially if Erica Ogwumike sits another game — a distinct possibility. Southern Miss shoots the ball well but hasn’t played a team with the same level of intensity that Rice will bring on defense. North Texas was a good test for them. The Mean Green held the Golden Eagles to 65 points, their lowest total in C-USA play.
