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Rice Basketball slingshots upward following wild week

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Knocking off UAB was a big win for the Rice basketball program, but the Owls hope this wild week won’t be the end of their upward ascent.

Rice basketball is riding the tail end of one of a rollercoaster week that’s led them through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. They crested the peak of that eight-day stretch when they knocked off conference favorite UAB at Tudor Fieldhouse. That spectacular win will be remembered for quite some time at South Main, but those forty minutes were on Saturday were only part of what made the victory so special.

Rice Athletics staff scoured the record books to find a recent comparable. The best they could find? UAB was No. 38 in NET rankings entering their game against the Owls. Rice beat New Mexico, No. 32 in RPI, on the road in December of 2015. The Lobos would fall off down the stretch and finish a dismal 17-15 on the year. The last time Rice beat a team that was great from wire to wire? It might date back to their WAC days.

Given that context, the win might be even grander than it was initially assumed to be. Few could have seen it coming, especially with it coming a week removed from a 32 point drubbing at the hands of a North Texas squad that UAB had just defeated two days prior.

That loss was one of the most painful in recent memory. Rice has lost by 30 or more points to a conference foe on just one other occasion in the past three seasons. Oddly enough, that other blowout defeat came at the hands of Louisiana Tech in late February. One week later they upset Marshall in the Conference USA Tournament, arguably the best win of head coach Scott Pera’s tenure at the time.

What’s it like, going from the valley to the mountain in such a short time? “I’m tired. I’m emotionally spent,” head coach Scott Pera said after the game, still grinning before making his way to the locker room to celebrate.

By that point in the Zoom interview session, he’d already gushed about the significance of the win. He’d talked about what it meant to the program, to his players, to his staff. Praise had been allotted to everyone to which it was due. Pera was smiling, but he carried the weight of a season ravaged by COVID-19, complications which Pera has frequently referred to as the most grueling conditions he’s ever had to coach through.

That’s part of what made this win special. To fight through COVID-19 delays and struggle to get their feet back under themselves against North Texas was daunting. “That wasn’t us.” Pera said, defiantly, “That’s not who we are.”

And what exactly is that? Who is this new-look Rice basketball team that can topple the best the conference has to offer? And more importantly, what’s next?

Mentally (and emotionally) Pera and his team have already moved on. A tenuous stretch of some of the conference’s top teams awaits the Owls next weekend when they play at Western Kentucky and Marshall. That’s exactly where Pera hopes to go next.

His aim? “To compete for the upper half of this league,” he said. “To put ourselves in position on Tuesday, Wednesday in the conference tournament, maybe we don’t have to play.”

Who would have thought we’d be entertaining the possibility of a bye before the Conference USA Tournament a week removed from one of the most discouraging losses Pera has seen in his tenure as the Rice basketball head coach? Pera didn’t seem phased by the quick transition. Neither did guard Travis Evee.

“We said the whole summer we’re going to take the next step,” Evee said. “And I think today was a great win for us, a great win for the program and just shows all the work we put in.”

Perhaps that monumental win could indeed be a building block for the future. We’ll find out soon enough. Rice visits Western Kentucky on Thursday.

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Rice Football 2021: NFL Owls Regular Season Recap

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Rice Football is well represented on 2021 NFL rosters. Here’s the latest from the NFL Owls from this week and the season as a whole.

There are former Rice football players scattered across the NFL. Stay tuned each week for their game results and notables from each player.

Team NFL Owl(s) Week 17 Result Next
LA Chargers Christian Covington (DL) at Las Vegas (SNF) L, 35-32 (OT)  —
Denver Calvin Anderson (OL)
Bryce Callahan (CB)		 vs Kansas City L, 28-24  —
Pittsburgh Chris Boswell (PK) at Baltimore W, 16-13 (OT) at Kansas City
Detroit Jack Fox (P) vs Green Bay W, 37-30  —
Tampa Bay Nick Leverett (OL) vs Carolina W, 41-17 vs Eagles
Indianapolis Andrew Sendejo (Saf) at Jacksonville L, 26-11  —
Falcons Austin Trammell (WR) vs Saints L, 30-20  —
New York Jets Austin Walter (RB) at Buffalo L, 27-10  —

Offense

Calvin Anderson – OT, Broncos

Anderson was placed on injured reserve following a leg injury suffered in the Broncos’ Week 13 loss to the Chiefs. He did not play in their Week 18 game against the Chiefs. He made three starts this season.

Nick Leverett – OT, Buccaneers

Leverett was inactive for the Bucs’ Week 18 game against the Panthers. He’d been active in recent weeks and saw action against those same Panthers in Week 16. He’ll be ready should he be needed in relief in the playoffs after making two appearances in the regular season.

Austin Trammell – WR, Falcons

Trammell was active once again this week after being elevated to the active roster from the practice squad. In a seemingly related move, the team released Marvin Hall earlier in the week, clearing room for Trammell to see the field. Trammell played six special teams snaps, a career-high after registering just one official play in his Week 17 debut.

Austin Watler – RB, Jets

With most of the running back room healthy this week, Walter was kept off the stat sheet after totaling a career-high 49 rushing yards in Week 17. He finishes the season with 101 rushing yards on 26 caries and two receptions for nine yards. He scored his first carer touchdown in Week 7 against the Texans in Houston.

Defense

Bryce Callahan – CB, Broncos

After missing the Broncos’ Week 17 game because of a short stint on the COVID-19 IR, Callahan returned for the season finale against the Chiefs, finishing with four tackles, three of which were solo takedowns. He finishes the season with 29 total tackles, three tackles for a loss and four passes defended.

Christian Covington – DL, Chargers

Covington’picked up two tackles in a wild Sunday Night Football loss at the hands of the Raiders. He finishes the season with 52 total tackles, three tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit.

Andrew Sendejo – S, Colts

Sendejo was placed on the COVID 19 list, forcing him to miss the Colts’ Week 18 game. He finishes the season with 40 total tackles, two tackles for a loss and two passes defended.

Special Teams

Jack Fox – P, Lions

Fox punted twice against the Packers, including a long punt of 67 yards. He also attempted one pass, which fell incomplete. He finishes the season with 65 punts with an average of 49.2, the second-best mark in the NFL. He booted a 70-yard punt against the Bears, his career-long.

Chris Boswell – K, Steelers

Boswell was perfect once again, including the game-winning field goal in overtime to lift the Steelers over the Ravens and ultimately send his team to the playoffs. He was 3-for-3 on the day with his field goal attempts and made his lone extra point try as well.

Boswell finishes the regular season 36-of-40 on field goals with a long of 56 yards. He made 8-of-9 kicks from 50+ yards and contributed 135 total points.

More Owls in the NFL

Former Rice football alums Justin Hill and James Casey are on the coaching staff of the Cincinnati Bengals, who play the Raiders in the Wild Card Round.

From practice squads to current free agents, there are other Owls on the cusp of returning to active rosters. Find more detail on current contractual agreements and former Rice football players waiting for their next opportunity here.

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“I don’t remember one bigger than this”: Rice basketball upsets UAB

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Rice basketball upset conference favorite UAB at home on Saturday, earning the marquee win of head coach Scott Pera’s tenure to date.

Ranked No. 38 in the NET rankings and No. 48 in KenPom, UAB entered Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday as the overwhelming favorites in Conference USA. They left with a loss at the hands of a now surging Rice basketball squad that has won two in a row at home.

When asked where the win ranked among the top moments of his tenure, Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera formed his hand into a thumbs up and raised it higher and higher until it left the screen of the Zoom call and continued to climb. “The Marshall win last year was tremendous. We’ve had some other big ones here too,” he said with a grin,” but I don’t remember one bigger than this.”

Wins like that don’t come easy. UAB led Rice by five points at halftime. The Blazers were shooting a staggering 60 percent from the field at that point and had seemed very much like the same team that had knocked Rice out of the conference tournament last March.

Pera and his team persevered. The fifth-year headman gave a nod to his assistant coaches that helped develop the game plan and reinforced to his team it would work.

“They never wavered in their belief that they can win the game. And that’s where it started,” he said. “If you don’t believe, you have no chance. And we believed.”

More: Rice Basketball grinds out win over Middle Tennessee

The Owls’ belief was tested early in the second half. UAB opened up a 10 point lead, but just when it seemed like the Blazers might pull away, the Owls’ shots started to fall. Travis Evee scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half. Carl Pierre contributed 13 of his 19 points after the break. Likewise, Mylyjael Poteat scored 14 of his 18 in the final 20 minutes.

Rice basketball also doubled down on their early control of the glass. They whipped the Blazers on the boards, outrebounding their foes 38-27. The 10 point lead by the visitors slowly dwindled. Pierre connected on a triple with 4:33 to put Rice in front for good before Evee iced the game with eight free throws in the final minute.

Player Spotlight | Mylyjael Poteat

Poteat battled injuries last season but was able to play a modest role down the stretch. He’s continued to grow this year, flashing here and there, but never truly becoming a consistent fixture on the floor, at least not until Saturday.

“Tonight, he was the difference. There’s no question about it. He was tremendous,” coach Pera said following the win. He praised Poteat’s renewed work ethic and credited his willingness to put in the extra work that paid off for Rice in this game. Poteat’s 18 points were a career-high. He also added seven rebounds.

Stat Corner | Win inside

The usual three-point-happy Owls were more balanced against the Blazers, repeating echoing traces of an inside-first mentality that helped propel them to a win over MTSU two days prior. UAB outscored Rice in the pain 42-34, but the 34 point total is night and day different from the 18 points in the paint they scored against Middle Tennessee or the 16 they mustered against North Texas.

Rice basketball made eight threes against UAB, tying the second-lowest total they’d had in a winning performance this year. Two games aren’t quite enough for a trend, but it’s a notable growth moment for a team that has lived and died by the three for so long.

Rice out physical-ed UAB in this game. They won on the boards. They found success in the paint. And most importantly. they played sound defense in key moments and hit their free throws. In every way, this looked like a complete basketball team on Saturday.

Final Box | Rice 85 – UAB 80

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice basketball will get a few extra days to enjoy this win. Their next tip doesn’t come until Thursday night when they kick off road trip against Western Kentucky before heading to Marshall on Saturday.

Photo credit Maria Lysaker
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Rice Women’s Basketball runs out of gas, falls to MTSU

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Rice women’s basketball finally opened conference play this weekend against Middle Tennessee, falling to the Blue Raiders on the road.

Head coach Lindsay Edmonds had always known the 2021-2022 Rice women’s basketball season was going to be challenging. Her transition to the school, plus a thinned roster and the seemingly inevitable bouts with COVID-19 posed a daunting challenge. But even forwarned those obstacles would come, it was hard for anyone within the program to prepare for what they faced over the course of the past month.

Rice last played a basketball game on December 16. They finally made their way to Murfreesboro, TN to open conference play against Middle Tennesse only to have the game delayed by a snowstorm. Exhausted, they took the court anyway and somehow managed to reel off a 13-2 run to open the contest.

Staked to an 11 point lead, the Owls had hope. Then the more seasoned Blue Raiders, who hadn’t been out of action for more than three weeks, overtook the Owls and turned a close game into a one-sided affair shortly before the halftime buzzer.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball Midseason State of the Program

Edmonds was honest in her comments after the loss, “It’s been a really rough couple of weeks for us,” she said, “From tests popping positive, to canceling games, to extending an already long Christmas break even longer, practicing with as few as 6 players for several days, weather delays – trying to get back into game shape after 10 days of quarantine has been extremely challenging.

“But I’m not into making excuses. That was the hand we were dealt and we needed to respond better. Middle [Tenneessee] was the much better team today and we didn’t step up to the opportunity. I’m disappointed in our showing today but do believe there are plenty of things we need to and will learn from these challenges.”

Player Spotlight | Maya Bokunewicz

Playing in only her ninth career game, redshirt freshman Maya Bokunewicz was the bright spot for Rice women’s basketball on Friday. She exploded for 20 points, a career-high, propelled by four made three-pointers. Her 41.9 percent clip from deep leads the team, as does her 18 three-pointers made. She also added an assist and five rebounds. Altogether it was a promising day for the second-year player.

Stat Corner | One step too slow

There were plenty of numbers that did not paint Rice women’s basketball in a favorable light following this loss, but two stood out from the boxscore in particular, points in the paint and fast break points. Middle Tennessee almost tripled up Rice in the paint, outscoring the Owls 52-18. They also edged Rice 20- 3 in fast break points.

The paint problem is a nod to physicality. Whether it be exhaustion from a long layoff or too long of gap between seeing live action, Rice was a step slow when it came to protecting the paint. That followed through to the fastbreak as well. Middle Tennessee was ready; Rice wasn’t.

The men exhibited a similar lull last weekend against North Texas before bouncing back and defeating Middle Tennessee on Saturday. Hopefully, the women just needed to get their feet under them and will bounce back in a similar fashion.

Final Box | MTSU 87 – Rice 63

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice women’s basketball has already had their next scheduled game against UAB postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the Blazers’ program. A replacement game was contemplated, but as of now, it seems likely the Owls will march forward as their current schedule dictates. That would mean home games against Western Kentucky (Thursday) and Marshall (Saturday) next time out.

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Rice Basketball: Owls grind out win over MTSU, move to .500 in C-USA

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It wasn’t pretty, but Rice basketball found a way to grind out a home win against Middle Tennessee, improving to 1-1 in Conference USA play.

Eager to return to the court, Rice basketball opened the scoring with a jumper from Carl Pierre and quickly worked a five-point lead when Pierre and Travis Evee notched back-to-back layups. Few could have expected it at the time, but that would be the largest margin between these teams for the remainder of the first half and well into the second.

Following a drubbing at the hands of North Texas last time out, Rice found themselves in a 40-minute fistfight. Rice eased up on the three-ball in the second half, aware that things weren’t falling, head coach Scott Pera opted to go inside.

Middle Tennessee threw the first few punches, taking a four-point lead. But as had been the case for the entirety of the evening prior to the Blue Raiders’ run, the Owls would push back quickly. “We talked about driving the ball. We had them in foul trouble and that was the key, to get the ball in the paint,” Pera said adding with a laugh, “We had to adjust. It’s rare that I say to them ‘don’t shoot threes’.”

More: Rice Basketball Midseason State of the Program

There wasn’t anything pretty about the seesawing scoreboard on Thursday night. Neither team was effective from the floor, turnovers appeared at inopportune times and any sort of rhythm seemed perpetually elusive.

Middle Tennessee would stretch their advantage to six. Rice would rally back. Things never really seemed comfortable, even after Pierre drained back-to-back threes late in the second half to give Rice a nine-point advantage in what had largely been a one-possession game. The contest dissolved into a free throw contest down the stretch before Rice closed out a 65-61 win.

“Just a tremendous gut-check win by our kids, there’s no other way to put it. Exhausted, running on fumes and refusing to give in, making a comeback and when they got the lead early in the second half, fighting back.”

Player Spotlight | Carl Pierre

Pierre recorded the first double-double of his career. He’s always been a scorer, but Pera said he’d challenged Pierre to rebound more when he arrived on campus. He reached 10 boards tonight, complimenting his team-high 19 points. He made two of the Owls’ five threes, both of which came late in the contest.

Stat Corner | Finding their stroke

Self-branded “Green Light U”, the three-point shot is inarguably the centerpiece of the Rice basketball offensive philosophy. Rice had attempted at least 20 triples in 10 of 12 games entering Thursday and continued to heave up deep balls despite more rim shots than usual.

Rice made two three-pointers in the first half, the second coming from Quincy Olivari with 9:56 to play before halftime. It wasn’t until the second half clock read 9:05 that Rice would make another. They’d finish with just five made threes on the night, their second-lowest total of the season — they convertED only three against North Texas last weekend.

To this point, Rice hadn’t won a game this year without making at least eight threes. On Thursday against MTSU, they proved to themselves they could win in other ways, a pivotal growth opportunity for this team. They failed to reach their usual production from downtown, but they made the shots when they needed to and walked away from Tudor Fieldhouse with a much-needed victory.

Final Box | Rice 65 – MTSU 61

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice basketball concludes the weekend homestand on Saturday against UAB. Next weekend they’ll hit the road for games at Western Kentucky on Thursday and Marshall on Saturday.

Photo credit Maria Lysaker
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