Rice basketball pulled out their biggest upset win of the season on Saturday, taking down North Texas behind a historic shooting performance.
Sometimes you can’t miss. That was the story on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse when the bottom-of-the-standings Rice basketball knocked off North Texas, C-USA’s best squad. The Mean Green had only lost once in conference play prior to the weekend, but as well as they played, they were no match for a red-hot Rice team.
Rice shot 61.5 percent from the field and made 15 three-pointers. The Owls haven’t converted more than 60 percent of their field goals since Nov. 16, 2016 — 1,172 days ago. On that night, they made 63.3 percent of their shots to beat Omaha on the road.
Roughly once every five years a team catches fire at an incredible rate. That came Saturday for Rice.
Josh Parrish and Trey Murphy each had 15 points. Robert Martin and Drew Peterson each had 13 points Ako Adams had 12. Chris Mullins was the only Rice started who failed to crack double-digits. He had eight as the Owls’ sixth-leading scorer.
That performance simultaneously proved two things: First, Rice has the ability to beat every team remaining on their schedule. Second, it takes a near-perfect outing for Rice to achieve a comfortable victory on their home court.
Final Stats
FINAL STATS | Rice topples North Texas behind historic shooting performance. #GoOwls pic.twitter.com/zoVVMS8FoC
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) February 2, 2020
Player of the Game – Robert Martin
The senior’s return to the lineup has been a catalyst for the Owls’ improved offensive play. More than just a good shooter, Martin has developed a penchant for making big shots. He had two on Saturday. The first gave Rice the lead with five minutes to play. Two minutes later he turned a four-point lead into a seven-point advantage, all but assuring the Owls of their most meaningful victory of the season.
Up Next
Rice basketball returns to the road for a two-game stretch. They’ll visit UAB in Birmingham on Thursday for a 6:00 p.m. tip. Then play Middle Tennessee on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
