Rice Basketball fell behind midway through the second half and was unable to complete a comeback bid, falling on the road to Tulane on Sunday.
Rice basketball rode the three-point shot to a competitive contest with Tulane on Sunday afternoon. The Owls made six threes in the first half, initially preventing Tulane from getting too far ahead before building a seven-point advantage of their own when Nick Anderson and Bodey Howell traded off for three consecutive triples midway through the period.
The Owls wouldn’t make another three in the half, seeing their advantage dwindle as Tulane closed things out with a 13-3 run. Ahead by three at the break, the Green Wave got their long ball going in earnest with three makes in the opening minute of the second frame. Ahead by nine at that point, Tulane was able to extend its advantage to 16 points, forcing Rice into comeback mode.
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Anderson and Trae Broadnax would do their best to rally, combining to score 12 of the Owls’ next 16 points, most of which came from the free throw line as their aggressive play earned them free throw opportunities. Rice cut the deficit by more than half, getting within five points with just under five minutes to play.
Tulane was able to weather the rally, though, holding on for the win. Rice Basketball falls to 12-15 with the victory. The Owls are 4-9 away from Tudor Fieldhouse this season.
Final Box | Tulane 81, Rice 75
Key takeaway | Beat on the Margins
On the surface, one second-half run was the difference in an otherwise competitive basketball game for much of the remainder of the contest. And while Rice force Tulane to keep making plays, it was the little things that proved to be their undoing, particularly when it came to taking advantage of extra chances.
Tulane and Rice each committed 11 turnovers, marks of a relatively clean game in which both teams took fairly could care of the basketball. However, the Green Wave scored 19 points off of turnovers. Rice had 10. Five of those crucial points came in the midst of Tulane’s second-half run that gave them their large lead which would eventually prove insurmountable.
The scoreboard reflect a game that was won rather handedly. And while Tulane certainly did earn the win, the result hinged more on what they did in those key moments than an extra shot made here or there.
Up Next: vs South Florida (Wed. Feb. 25 at 7:00 pm)