As has been the case for much of the season, Rice Basketball took another team down to the wire, this time falling to Wichita State.
A swarming Rice basketball defense set the tone for what would become a grind of a game at Tudor Fieldhouse on Senior Night. The Owls forced three Wichita State turnovers in the first two minutes, jumping out quickly to an 8-2 advantage. They’d hold a small lead for the better portion of the first half before things began to unravel.
Wichita State went on a thunderous 12-0 run to go in front by seven, taking advantage of six Rice turnovers in that span. Despite an ice-cold stretch in which Rice missed 11-of-12 shots from the field and fell behind by 10, the Owls were able to rally and get back within three points at halftime.
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After a bit of shooting lull to open the second half, Rice finally started to heat up from the field. Four consecutive field goals, two from Andrew Akuchie inside and a pair of threes from Alem Huseinovic brought the game back within one possession. That razor thin margin would linger for the rest of the game.
Emory Lanier his a layup to bring Rice within four with 6:57 to play. Neither side would make a field goal for more than six minutes until Wichita State finally got a jumper to go, snapping a stretch of 12 missed shots in a row. Unfortunately for Rice, their seven consecutive misses prevented them from closing the gap and resulted in yet another deflating, close loss.
Final Box | Wichita State 63, Rice 59
FINAL | Wichita State 63, @RiceMBB 59. pic.twitter.com/rh6pp4ScaB
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) March 7, 2025
What They’re Saying
.@RiceMBB head coach Rob Lanier shares his thoughts on the game and what he's learned about the team this season. pic.twitter.com/jDcr6hXrx3
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) March 7, 2025
Key takeaway | Onto Denton, then Fort Worth?
The final standings won’t be determined until after the weekend, but Rice basketball will be playing at the Super Pit next Wednesday. By virtue of the Owls’ loss on Thursday, they won’t catch Tulsa in the standings and will most likely be playing Charlotte in the play-in game. The seeding, whether Rice will be the No. 12 or No. 13, is yet to be determined.
If Rice can win that game, set to be played at the Super Pit in Denton, then they’ll join the rest of the conference at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth for the rest of the tournament.
Up Next: AAC Tournament
