Rice Basketball returned to the win column emphatically, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the game against Tulsa on Saturday.
From the moment Denver Anglin drained the first three of the game to the successive baskets from Trae Broadnax to give Rice basketball a 7-0 lead, Saturday’s game against Tulsa felt different. There was no back-and-forth in this one like so many of the Owls’ other nailbiters of late, no, Rice outscored Tulsa 21-6 in the first 11 minutes and change, setting the tone for what would become a Rice romp.
Tulsa would eventually get things going offensively, but a pair of double-digit scorers from the Golden Hurricane was not nearly enough to overcome such a sizable early deficit.
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In fact, Tulsa would get back within single digits on the scoreboard just twice. The first time came in the latter portions of the first half to which Rice answered with a 7-0 run. The next was near the midpoint of the second half. Rice ripped off five in a row and that was that.
To eliminate any doubts this game was as one-sided as it felt, Rice would close things out on a 14-5 rally, scoring the final six points of the game and earning a much-needed AAC victory in the process.
Final Box | Rice 71, Tulsa 50
FINAL | @RiceMBB 71, Tulsa 50 pic.twitter.com/gJkGmcOZ9K
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) February 22, 2025
Key takeaway | Past due
Finally getting in the win column after too many painful, last-minute losses to count is a breath of fresh air to a Rice basketball squad that has been struggling to close out games. Head coach Rob Lanier mentioned as much in his comments after the game.
“A great sign of the resilience of the guys, and that’s been a consistent theme,” Lanier remarked. “The expectation is that we’re going to come out and play well and be competitive and we’re going to have to find a way to finish some of the games that we’ve been in. I think the group is getting tougher mentally and the bond is getting stronger through these experiences.”
Lanier could have stopped there, but chose not to. In a response to a later question, Lanier made it clear he viewed even this win as a learning experience for his team.
“My message at halftime and a little bit after the game is that we have a good group of kids. They stick together. There’s some comradery. There’s some positive energy flowing through our locker room,” he said. “But the next step is for us to add to that some bite. And I didn’t feel that tonight, that bite, that aggressiveness.”
Perhaps that killer instinct has kept this squad from a few more wins over the past month. Regardless of the reason, Lanier doesn’t seem content with the status quo and is pushing his team for more. That might be the most encouraging thing that happened for Rice basketball on Saturday, beyond just a win.
Up Next: at Memphis (Wed, Feb. 26)
