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Rice Football Recruiting: Grad OL Lavel Dumont commits to Owls

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The Transfer Portal continues to deliver for 2023 Rice Football recruiting class including the most recent addition of former Toledo offensive lineman Lavel Dumont.

The 2022 Rice football offensive line was an ever-changing kaleidoscope of combinations. Getting the same starting five on the field and performing at a high level was a challenge, making finding a solution up front a priority for the 2023 recruiting cycle. The Owls have since found some answers in the portal with the commitment of grad transfer offensive lineman Lavel Dumont from Toledo.

To get Dumont to campus, Rice had to win a fierce recruiting battle over Memphis and East Carolina, fellow AAC programs that will be on the Owls’ schedule in the years to come.

Dumont was originally a four-star recruit in the 2018 class, signing with Toledo out of high school. He redshirted in 2018 and was used sparingly in 2019 and 2020 before becoming the starting right tackle for the Rockets in 2021, starting the first seven games before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2022 he made a pair of starts at right guard. His ability to play up and down the line was an important plus for the Owls.

Already on campus, Dumont opted not to make a large formal announcement but enrolled in classes in January. He’ll be ready to go for spring ball, something that will be critical for all members of the offensive line room which includes Nebraska transfer, Brant Banks.

Rice returns starting tackles Clay Servin and Ethan Onianwa but will be looking to fill a few spots with the departures of Shea Baker (graduation) and Isaac Klarkowski (transfer). Getting proven options with D1 starting experience is huge.

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Even though he’s listed at 6-foot-4, 321 pounds, Dumont possesses some quickness and burst to go along with his strength. His ability to move laterally and pull to make blocks will certainly be used when he makes the transition to the Rice offense. In addition to that, he can win one-on-one blocks on the edge, plenty of examples of which are shown on his tape. At a position of need, Dumont checks all the boxes.

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Rice Football 2022 Team MVP: Bradley Rozner

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Wide receiver Bradley Rozner made plays that won games, often putting the team on his back in key moments. He’s our 2022 Rice Football team MVP.

The story of how Bradley Rozner impacted Rice football in 2022 can’t be told on one play, but it’s fitting there is one moment that stands out above the rest and it’s equally fitting that one man rose to the occasion when his team needed it the most. In a do-or-die moment, Bradley Rozner reminded everyone why he was our 2022 Rice Football team MVP.

It’s already been written about in much more detail here, but the cliff notes version is pretty simple. Rice was tied with UTEP with 30 seconds on the clock and in range for about a 40-yard field goal should the gain no more ground. Rather than settle for the kick attempt, head coach Mike Bloomgren called up Rozner’s number and quarterback TJ McMahon hit No. 2 a step in front of the pylon or the game-winning score.

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“It’s kind of like [we] dare people to cover him one on one,” Bloomgren joked after the game. “That’s a heck of a weapon to have as your X-receiver.”

In what felt like a must-win game after falling to Charlotte the week prior, Rozner made what might have ended up becoming the most defining moment of the 2022 Rice football season. And that weapon, as Bloomgren referred to him, did much more than terrorize UTEP.

Rozner finished the 2022 campaign with 876 yards and 10 touchdowns. He became the first Rice football player to have double-digit receiving touchdowns in a single season since Jarrett Dillard and James Casey each accomplished the feat in 2008.

The depth at the wide receiver position allowed Rice to spread the ball out more often this year than they had in the past, but whether it was a highlight reel day or not, Rozner always seemed to make an impact that changed the game. He had 100 yards receiving or a touchdown in eight of the Owls’ 12 games this season.

More: Defensive Player of the Year — Josh Pearcy

What makes that run of dominance even more special is the path Rozner took to get to this point. After a breakthrough 2019 season, Rozner missed essentially the entirety of the 2020 and 2021 season with injuries, catching just two passes in the 2021 season opener against Arkansas before being shelved for the year.

Rozner’s first of two touchdowns in the Owls’ runaway win over McNeese State in their home opener was his first home touchdown in his Rice football career and his first touchdown grab as an Owl since November 16, 2019 against Middle Tennessee. Rozner’s emergence had been a long time coming.

Making it back to the field in any capacity and contributing to the offense would have been a relief for Rozner who hadn’t seen the field in such a long time. Becoming a go-to game-breaker was even more impressive. In many ways, it’s just like that game-winning score against UTEP. Someone gave Rozner a chance. He did the rest.

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Rice Basketball Roundup: MBB fall, WBB win vs UAB

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Both Rice basketball teams were in action against UAB on Saturday. Here’s a brief rundown of how the men and women faired and what’s next for both.

Rice Basketball

Rice basketball saw their hot streak come to a screeching halt against a short-handed UAB squad, falling at home in a largely uncompetitive fashion.

Rice basketball has been no stranger to a slow start. The Owls have been a hot and cold team all year, relying on their dominant stretches to smooth over some of their less-than-stellar moments. On Saturday, their shooting performance began almost as cold as it possibly could.

Very little went through the hoop for Rice in the first half. They shot 20 percent from the field and made just three of 12 three-point attempts. Leading scorers Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee combined for five total points and nine of the 19 missed shots. On the other side, UAB shot a strong, but not overwhelming 46 percent from the field. At the half, UAB led 33-15 and it felt like it could have been worse.

The second half was much more even, exactly even, actually. Both teams scored 37 points in the second half, but that didn’t matter much for Rice who went into the break already facing a massive deficit. Cameron Sheffield (3-for-7, 12 points) was the only Rice player to score with any sort of consistency as they played out the stretch in what became a crushing defeat against a UAB squad down three key players including its star, Jelly Walker.

Head coach Scott Pera was frank in his postgame comments. “That’s kind of an old-fashioned butt-kicking,” he said.

Final Box | UAB 70 – Rice 52

Key takeaway | When it’s bad, it’s bad

Rice basketball has been a really good team this year. At 15-6 overall and 6-4 in conference play, they’ve been objectively one of the better teams in Conference USA. They’ve shown they can hang with just about anyone on the court on any given day, but — and it’s a significant but — when they’re off their game, things can go south quickly.

Here are the margins of defeat in the Owls’ six losses this season:

  • 37 – at Pepperdine (Nov. 7)
  • 35 – at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 15)
  • 6 – at Texas (Dec. 12)
  • 6 – at Louisiana Tech (Jan. 5)
  • 3 – at Middle Tennessee (Jan. 11)
  • 18 – vs UAB

Even some of the better teams in college basketball have an off night. Even in three of their losses (Texas, LA Tech and MTSU) the Owls played relatively well for parts of those games. But when Rice has an off night, they have the propensity to get run out of the gym.

It’s hard to deny head coach Scott Pera has raised this program’s ceiling. In the same breath, games like this one serve as a clear reminder the floor needs to be raised, too. Head coach Scott Pera was effusive in his praise for UAB, but said he couldn’t help but wonder if his team had finally just hit a wall following a run of so many close games.

“We had two bad ones a long time ago,” he said, “But we’ve only had one in a long time. Let’s just hope you’re not asking me this again anytime soon and we rebound from this.”

Up Next: at Louisiana Tech – Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:00 p.m.

Rice Women's Basketball

It wasn’t a great shooting day for Rice women’s basketball, but the defense was stellar and propelled the Owls to an important road win.

The early portions of the Rice women’s basketball game against UAB were largely unassuming. The two squads traded minor advantages, swapping out baskets and rebounds and nearly an even rate. UAB outscored Rice 17-15 in the first quarter, then equaled that 17-15 margin in the second frame.

Down by four at the half, Rice still felt very much in the game despite not really getting into a rhythm on the offensive side of the court. The defense had been solid, holding UAB close despite the Blazers shooting 59 percent to the Owls’ 35 percent from the floor in the first half. That was true, right up until UAB threatened to break the game open early in the third quarter.

The Blazers started the third with back-to-back threes, then followed up a Rice layup with two more buckets of their own. Suddenly a four-point UAB lead had ballooned to 12, forcing Rice into catchup mode. Jazzy Owens-Barnett answered with six straight points of her own to give the Owls some life before Rice would go on a 10-2 run to close the quarter deadlocked at 50 points aside.

In the fourth quarter, Rice slammed the door. UAB shot just 27 percent from the field and turned the ball over 10 times — the Blazers ended the day with 24 giveaways — as the Owls began to build a lead of their own. Despite trailing for most of the game, Rice would go on to win by 10.

Final Box | Rice 67 – UAB 57

Key takeaway | Finishing strong

The best 10 minutes of Rice basketball on Saturday were played during the fourth quarter. Rice outscored UAB 17-7 down the stretch and was able to get production from a variety of sources. In the fourth quarter alone they got 13 points from the bench, stole the ball five times and committed just four turnovers. They took care of the basketball and forced UAB to make mistakes.

Rice shot just 33 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter and did not make a three. Yet somehow they were able to reverse a one-point deficit and build a double-digit lead. Even when the offense isn’t clicking, this team showed it still has the tenacity to buckle down and finish games. Good teams can win in a variety of ways and that’s the kind of team the Owls aspire to be.

“Today was about toughness,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said. “We found a spark and we just kept going and we were tough and we kept battling and we found a way to get a win on the road.”

Up Next: vs Louisiana Tech – Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m.

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Rice Basketball: Is this team for real? — January Patreon Q&A

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The win over North Texas was incredible, but barely beating UTSA was disappointing. Which version of Rice basketball shows up next time?

If you asked Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera if he’s come down from cloud nine, he might not yet know the answer. Even with practices to attend to and new games to play, the significance of the Owls’ recent upset win over North Texas won’t be lost on Pera. In the standings, it’s one game. But what about in the grand scheme of things? Has this program gotten over the hump? We tackle that in this month’s Patreon Q&A.

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Rice Basketball Roundup: MBB and WBB split vs Charlotte

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Both Rice basketball teams were in action against Charlotte on Thursday. Here’s a brief rundown of how the men and women faired and what’s next for both.

Rice Basketball

Rice basketball overcame a slow start and had to hang on late, edging the Charlotte 49ers at home for their fourth consecutive Conference USA win.

It was a slow start for Rice basketball at Tudor Fieldhouse on Thursday evening. The Owls traded blows with the Charlotte 49ers throughout the first half, but neither side led by more than four and ties were the common thread. The Owls shot just 20 percent from three before the break and were dominated on the boards, with Charlotte owning a 19-12 advantage. Still, it was a close game at the half.

Rice found their shooting stroke early in the second half. The Owls exploded with a 21-6 run, taking a 15-point lead and putting the pressure back on Charlotte. They responded, thundering back and cutting the Rice edge to two points with 5:43 to play. With 14 seconds to go, the game was tied.

Familiar with the pressures of a close game late, Rice got the shot they needed down the stretch — this time in the form of free throw from Quincy Olivari — and some key defensive plays from Max Fiedler and others to close it out and earn their fourth consecutive conference win.

Final Box | Rice 65 – Charlotte 63

Key takeaway | Finding a way to score

Three-point shooting has been the Owls’ bread and butter for years under head coach Scott Pera, but Rice has recently added another level of versatility to its arsenal. In an upset win over North Texas, Rice attacked the lane, trusting their superior guards to create opportunities and capitalize.

Against Charlotte, Rice did not intentionally sidestep the long ball like they did against North Texas, but they did fall back on what worked that night, attacking the basket and trusting Travis Evee and Quincy Olivari to win inside.

A bad shooting night no longer guarantees a loss. A slow start no longer necessitates a furious comeback and near-perfect execution. They’re not perfect, but the Owls are adapting, and that’s a crucial development as they move forward.

Up Next: vs UAB – Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball never found its rhythm against Charlotte on Thursday night, falling to the 49ers on the road.

Winners of three straight, Rice women’s basketball faced a tough road test on Thursday night against Charlotte. The Owls got on the board first with a three from Destiny Jackson, but it would prove to be just one of four triples the team made in the game, shooting a lowly 21.1 percent from deep and underscoring a difficult shooting night away from home.

Both teams were deadlocked at 15-15 after the first quarter. They traded runs in the middle two frames. Charlotte led by as many as nine. Rice’s largest lead was three. Back and forth the teams went with Rice cutting down the large deficit to just one point with about two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Charlotte responded with a three, putting Rice into comeback mode in the final seconds.

Rice would get close a few times, helped by inconsistent free throw shooting from Charlotte, but it would not be enough. Although they got back within three with seven seconds to play, they could not rally on the road.

Final Box | Charlotte 66 – Rice 61

Key takeaway | Free throw woes

Charlotte let Rice hang around in this game because of free throw struggles of their own, but Rice had a legitimate shot to steal a game in which they did not play their best if they’d just made more free throws. Rice shot 65.4 percent from the charity stripe on Thursday, one of their four worst shooting performances from the line this season.

Poor shooting from the field (32.8 percent) and poor free throw shooting are hard to overcome when both droughts happen on the same night, particularly on the road. Thursday just wasn’t their night.

Up Next: at UAB – Saturday, Jan. 28 at 1:00 p.m.

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