The Rice basketball hopes to right a losing streak with a set of home games against Southern Miss. Here’s how the Owls stack up against the Golden Eagles.
Time: Friday, Feb. 5 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Friday – ESPN+ / Sunday – CUSAtv
Southern Miss 7-10 (3-7), Last 5 (1-4)
- 64-59 (W) vs Middle Tennessee
- 64-70 (L) at UTSA
- 72-78 (L) at UTSA
- 63-76 (L) vs Louisiana Tech
- 62-65 (L) at Louisiana Tech
Southern Miss statistical leaders
- Scoring | Tyler Stevenson – 14.2 per game
- Rebounds | Tyler Stevenson – 7.4 per game
- Assists | Tae Hardy – 3.0 per game
- Steals | Tae Hardy – 1.4 per game
- Blocks | DeAndre Pickney – 0.5 per game
Rice 10-8 (4-6), Last 5 (0-5)
- 58-61 (L) vs Old Dominion
- 68-78 (L) at UAB
- 74-86 (L) at UAB
- 74-69 (L) vs North Texas
- 53-79 (L) at North Texas
Rice statistical leaders
- Scoring | Travis Evee – 15.4 per game
- Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 9.3 per game
- Assists | Max Fiedler – 4.1 per game
- Steals | Travis Evee – 1.3 per game
- Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.8 per game
Rice keys to victory
Southern Miss doesn’t shoot well, but they’ve become a fairly stout defense squad under the direction of head coach Jay Ladner. The Golden Eagles allow just 1.6 more points per game than the North Texas squad that gave the Rice guards fits all last weekend. The short bench and lack of free shooting space made for a long series against the Mean Green.
On the opposite side of the court, Rice should be able to grind things out. Southern Miss shoots 43.5 percent from the field and isn’t a particularly high volume shooting team. The Owls need to take it one possession at a time, create opportunities, and take advantage of them.
Rice Women’s Basketball Update
For the third consecutive weekend, Rice women’s basketball will be unable to compete because of COVID- and injuries. Their series against Southern Miss was postponed. The program remains on pause, with six games missed during the delays.