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Rice Basketball Comes Up Short at Tennessee

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Rice basketball kept things competitive in the early goings before faltering in the second half, falling to the No. Tennessee Volunteers on the road.

Tennessee scored first and never trailed in what proved to be a rather comfortable win for the home team. Rice Basketball head coach Rob Lanier, who spent eight seasons as an assistant to Rick Barnes in Knoxville was correct to be warry of returning to town to play against the Vols.

“I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today if it weren’t for him. I’m so indebted. It’s a place that I look forward to going back to,” Lanier said in the days leading up to the game. “I don’t really want to coach against Rick, but I’m excited to get back there. It’s a great place.”

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Thompson-Boling Arena was indeed rocking on Monday evening, slowed only briefly when Rice cut their deficit to five points near the end of the first half on a three-pointer from Nick Anderson. The Vols answered with a 5-0 run to get back in front by double-digits,

Tennessee would take a 13-point lead into halftime and maintain at least a 10-point advantage through the second half. Rice remained competitive for the first couple of media timeouts before Tennessee began to pull away in the later moments, stretching their advantage to as many as 26 points before closing things out with a 25-point margin of victory.

Rice Basketball falls to 2-3 with the loss. The Owls are 0-2 away from Tudor Fieldhouse this season.

Final Box | Tennessee 91, Rice 66

Key takeaway | Cam Carroll hangs tough

That Nick Anderson led the team in scoring with 19 points on 3-of-7 from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. He’s been one of the most consistent scorers the Owls have had this season and will be expected to maintain that level of production if Rice is going to get where they want to go.

It’s that next man up that’s the focal point of the Owls’ early stretch of nonconference play and Cam Carroll threw his hat into the ring on Monday. 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting against against a defense as swarming as the Volunteers’ was notable as was the lone turnover in 23 minutes on the court.

Rice basketball has high expectations for the veterans on this roster. Getting a meaningful contribution from Carroll, or others with less proven D1 experience this season, would be massive.

Up Next: vs Tarleton State (Nov. 20 at 7:00 pm)

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Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: North Texas

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Rice football caps off its home slate with a Senior Day showdown against North Texas. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Both Rice football and North Texas enter this week’s matchup off victories. The Owls took down UAB at home before a much-needed bye week. Then they watched at home as the Mean Green dismantled those same Blazers the following weekend. Now the two Texas teams meet on the gridiron this Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and North Texas.

Kickoff time | 6:30 PM
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPNU (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Sizing up the Contenders

There’s a lot on the line for both teams in this one. Rice is a win away from clinching bowl eligibility in its first year under head coach Scott Abell. With a road trip looming against South Florida, it sure would be nice to secure that sixth win before heading out on the road.

More: Undersized and Undeterred – Quinton Jackson’s Journey to Rice Football Star

North Texas is aiming higher and remains in the mix for a spot in the conference championship game as one of three one-loss American Conference teams in the standings. A second loss could boot the Mean Green from the game entirely.

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Last Time Out

Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.

Series History

All Time | North Texas leads, 8-5
Last Five | North Texas leads, 4-1
Last Meeting | Away 2022, North Texas won 21-17

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Jenkins – 99/142 (69.7 percent), 885 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 148 carries, 758 yards (5.1 yards per carry), 6 TD / Jenkins – 124 carries, 422 yards (3.4 yards per carry) – 4 TD / Alexander – 74 carries, 392 yards (5.3 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Dickmann – 33 receptions, 302 yards (9.5 yds/rec), 3 TD / Turner – 38 receptions, 217 yards (5.7 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 79 / Morris – 67 / Williams – 56
Pass Breakups | Crump (Suspended) – 6 / Williams, Porter – 5
Interceptions | Kane, Stevenson, Wyatt – 1

North Texas Stat Notables

Passing | Mestemaker – 232/335 (69.3 percent), 3000 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT
Rushing | Hawkins – 148 carries, 933 yards (6.3 yds/car), 16 TD / McGill II – 75 carries, 389 yards (5.2 yds/car), 5 TD
Receiving | Young – 48 receptions, 781 yards (16.3 yds/rec), 8 TD / Dorner – 38 receptions, 617 yards (16.2 yds/rec), 5 TD / Coleman – 33 receptions, 344 yards (10.4 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Fields – 74 / Wesloski – 71 / Whitter – 58
Pass Breakups | Fisher – 6 / Armstead – 4 / Allen Jr. – 3
Interceptions | Jones II, Hammonds, Lewis – 2 / Six tied with one each

North Texas X-Factor | Find the Weak Link

On a down to down basis, Rice football has been a solid defense, allowing 5.7 yards per play which ranks seventh in the conference. What the Owls haven’t done well is limit the big play. Rice ranks dead last in the league in scrimmage plays of 40+ yards or more allowed. A revolving door at corner has been one of the biggest culprits, thus far.

Starter Khary Crump was suspended indefinitely and backup Jerrick Harper has been limited, forcing second and third stringers to become everyday players for the Rice defense in the second half. North Texas has one of the most explosive offenses in the country and will scheme up looks against those newcomers in the Owls’ secondary. If they hit on those plays, Rice will be forced into comeback mode early.

Rice X-Factor | Ball Control

Neither of the other option-based teams North Texas faced this season won, but both Army and Navy showed the blueprint to beat North Texas. The Mean Green defense is rather susceptible on third down and the offense is extremely potent, making keep away the modus operendi for Rice Football in this game.

Both Army and Navy converted better than 50 percent of their third down conversions against North Texas but turned the ball over three times apiece. If the Owls can hang on to the football and limit possession, they can force this game to be close down the stretch. If that happens, the Owls will have a shot.

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One Final Thing

That Rice football has made it this far with the ebbs and flows of a first-year offense and the injuries that have plagued the defense, and particularly the secondary, all season is remarkable in itself. And as we mused in the most recent edition of The Roost Podcast, it’s hard to believe just how much hasn’t gone right and yet, they’re one win away from a bowl berth.

That’s not to say this season has been smoke and mirrors. To the contrary, it’s an incredible compliment to the staff and the roster for finding ways to win in spite of the adversity they’ve faced to this point. However, to beat North Texas, things are going to have to start going right.

If Rice can unleash the vintage, game-controlling offense they’ve been building, they’ll have a chance. If the defense can play at an elite level and force some turnovers, Rice might just be able to spring the upset. But if things don’t go well, this is the kind of game you lose by four scores.

A loss like that might not be devastating, given the circumstances, but it sure would be nice to see this team make magic happen. They did it once against a UConn team that hasn’t lost a game since. Can “lightning” strike twice? We’ll know for sure, soon enough.

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American Conference Football 2025: Week 12 Roundup

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American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army5-4 (3-3)— OFF — —vs Tulsa
Charlotte1-9 (0-7)vs UTSAL, 28-7at Georgia
ECU7-3 (5-1)vs MemphisW, 31-27at UTSA
FAU4-6 (3-4)at TulaneL, 35-24vs UConn
Memphis8-3 (4-3)at ECUL, 31-27— OFF —
Navy8-2 (6-2)vs USFW, 41-38— OFF —
North Texas9-1 (5-1)at UABW, 53-24at Rice
Rice5-5 (2-4)— OFF — —vs North Texas
Temple5-5 (3-3)— OFF — —vs Tulane
Tulane8-2 (5-1)vs FAUW, 35-24at Temple
Tulsa3-7 (0-6)vs Oregon StW, 31-14at Army
UAB3-7 (1-5)vs North TexasL, 53-24vs USF
USF7-3 (4-2)at NavyL, 41-38at UAB
UTSA5-5 (3-3)at CharlotteW, 28-7vs ECU

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Ahoy, Pirates!

East Carolina was flying under the radar after a 3-3 start with losses to a pair of power conference teams and Tulane on the road. Since then, the Pirates are 4-0 including this latest impressive win over Memphis. The Tigers can still reach 10 wins, but have effectively been eliminated from the conference championship game and the playoff. That’s a tough pill to swallow for Memphis.

Midshipmen Make it Happen

Memphis’ next opponent, Navy, posted a statement win this weekend. Following back-to-back losses against North Texas and Notre Dame on the road, the Middies returned to Annapolis and won a thriller over South Florida. The loss knocks the Bulls out of conference title contention with tiebreaker while the Midshipmen remain alive if they can get some help over the last two weeks.

North Texas, Tulane Hold Serve

While some of the other contenders stumbled, North Texas and Tulane posted rather mundane wins over teams in the bottom half of the conference standings. Neither game was particularly close or in doubt down the stretch, keeping both the Mean Green and the Green Wave in contention along with East Carolina with one loss in conference play.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Beware, the Dome

East Carolina had best keep their eyes wide open as they travel to the Alamodome next weekend, a place where the Roadrunners seem to turn into the best version of themselves. If the Pirates play like they did this past weekend, they should be okay, but that’s the last place any contender wants to pay a visit to at the moment following UTSA’s drubbings of Rice and Tulane in their most recent home contests.

Post-bye Rice

As for Rice, they posted what’s looking to be one of the more impressive non-conference wins of the season following their first bye week, taking down UConn in double overtime. The Owls have had another two-week stretch to prepare, but they’ll still be heavy underdogs when they host North Texas on Senior Day.

Going North

Tulane also better be careful when they travel north to take on Temple. The Owls have their eyes set on bowl eligibility and gave a then-undefeated Navy squad a scare a few weeks back. Even the slightest potential for chilly weather wouldn’t help the southern squad in their hopes for a quick and easy road trip before their regular season finale at home against Charlotte.

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Rice Women’s Basketball posts team win over MTSU

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Rice Women’s basketball grinded out a four-quarter battle against Middle Tennessee, outscoring the Blue Raiders in the final minutes to clinch the win.

Days removed from a relatively comfortable win over rival Houston, Rice women’s basketball found itself in a dogfight against former C-USA foe Middle Tennessee at Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday. The two squads were tied after the first quarter and separated by just two points at the break following six dead even scores in the first half alone.

After falling behind briefly on an MTSU three-pointer to open the third quarter, Rice started to got on the offensive with a thorough 10-0 run made possible by tremendous defense. MTSU would shoot 31 percent in the frame as Rice went inside, dominating the paint with Hailey Adams and Shelby Hayes accounting for 10 of the Owls’ 14 points in that 10-minute period.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Even a nine-point lead wouldn’t prove enough, though. MTSU knotted things back up at 51 all with 4:31 to play in the final quarter. And then, with the game on the line, Rice got a succession of huge shots from Louann Battiston and some clutch free throws from Hailey Adams to salt the game away. The Blue Raiders would make just three shots from the field in the final three minutes, another stout defensive effort.

Rice women’s basketball improved to 2-1 on the season and 1-0 at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Final Box | Rice 66, Middle Tennessee 59

Key takeaway | Team Mentality

When March comes around, Rice women’s basketball will need to find a player or two they can trust to make the big shot when it counts. As it stands, there hasn’t yet been one dominant player, but with where this team is at, that might not be a problem.

On Saturday, Rice got a team-high 18 points from Aniah Alexis. Her double-double paced the team, but the massive fourth quarter from Battiston and a four-steal, three-assist effort from Victoria Flores were equally vital to pulling out a close win. More often than not, a “team win” is cheesy line from a press conference. This time around, it really was a collective effort that made the difference.

Up Next: at Princeton (Nov. 19 at 6:00 pm)

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Rice Basketball Rallies Past East Texas A&M

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Rice basketball persevered through a slow start, rallying past East Texas A&M with a strong finish to improve to 2-1 at Tudor Fieldhouse this season.

For the second time in just a few days, Rice basketball found itself playing from behind on its home court. East Texas A&M opened the game by making five of its first 10 field goals as Rice sputtered to a 3-13 start. Trailing 13-7 near the midpoint of the first half, the Owls finally got into some rhythm on the court and began to mount an offensive of their own.

A slim six-point deficit dwindled and became a lead when Nick Anderson drained a triple in the final minutes of the first half. Rice would go into the break up by one, far from being firmly in control, but having braved the worst of the East Texas A&M attack.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Rice looked more composed with the ball in the second half. Tied up at 37 near the first media timeout, the Owls would go on a 14-4 run with key three pointers from Anderson and Trae Broadnax to reach their first double-digit lead. Both sides would trade baskets down the stretch after that, but the Lions never threatened again.

The Owls improve to 2-2 with the win and are 2-1 at Tudor Fieldhouse this season.

Final Box | Rice 71, East Texas A&M 64

What They’re Saying

“The main adjustment really was just we had to play harder. We had to turn it up as a group. We felt as though we weren’t playing up to the standard that we set for each other. In the second half we came out and we’re like, we’re really going to put our foot on these guys necks.” – Rice basketball guard Dallas Hobbs on the adjustments the team made at halftime

Key takeaway | Scoring Helps

Rice Basketball is coming off a 2024-2025 season in which the Owls finished last in the American Conference in field goal percentage, knocking down a paltry 42.1 percent of their attempts. The rebuilt roster with the additions of Jalen Smith, Nick Anderson and Dallas Hobbes was expected to help remedy that significantly, but there were never any illusions this team was going to be knocking down every shot.

However, some shots would help.

After shooting worse than 36 percent in their last two games, Rice opened this one with a dreary 35 percent mark in the first half. Leading by one point, the Owls looked to be in for another slog before waking up in the second half and shooting a scalding 64 percent from the floor.

There’s ample room for growth when it comes to consistency, but it’s nice to see at least some of the shots start to fall. Rice can’t expect to finish the game 8-for-12 from three after intermission, but Friday’s showing should be proof they’re capable. They just need to find a way to do it more regularly as the quality of competition continues to increase.

Up Next: vs Tennessee (Nov. 17 at 7:30 pm)

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