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MBB: UTSA game preview

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Rice basketball is riding a two-game winning streak in Conference play. Can the Owls make it three in a row with a win over UTSA on Thursday?

Rice is playing their best basketball of the season at an opportune time. After a slow winter on the court, the Owls have won two in a row. If they want to extend that streak to three they’ll have to win on the road, something that’s been a challenge for head coach Scott Pera’s younger squad.

The Owls have one road win in six chances, downing Rio Grande Valley 75-67 on Dec. 18. Outside of that game, Rice has dropped all their other away games by double-digits. A win against UTSA would give Rice a two-game road winning streak and a third win in conference play.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. Radio is available via the Stretch Internet Portal.

UTSA 8-7 (2-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • W, 67-63 @ UTEP
  • W, 75-60 vs UTEP
  • W, 70-67 vs Southeastern Oklahoma St
  • W, 64-50 @ Texas A&M CC
  • W, 101-77 vs Bethany College

Rice 7-9 (2-1), Last 5 – (3-2)

  • W, 78-66 vs Louisiana Tech
  • W, 73-65 vs Southern Miss
  • L, 103-87 vs North Texas
  • L, 83-66 vs Omaha
  • W, 75-67 @ Rio Grande Valley

UTSA players to watch

It’s been a two-man show for UTSA this season. Sophomore guards Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace lead the way, averaging 20.5 and 18.4 points per game, respectively. There have been two games of single-digit scoring between them this season. It doesn’t matter who’s matched up against them, both Jackson and Wallace have torched even the better defensive teams they’ve faced in non-conference play.

The problem for UTSA comes with the next man up. After Jackson and Wallace get their 40 points the Roadrunners have struggled to find anyone else who can be relied upon consistently.

Senior forward Nick Allen has had spurts of strong play, but foul trouble and poor shooting nights have been concerns. Junior forward Byron Frohnen leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.8 boards per game.

Rice keys to victory

The Rice defense has been the linchpin to the Owls’ recent success. After allowing three of their previous four opponents to top 80 points, Rice held both Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech in the 60’s — both of those offenses average in the mid-70’s.

Against UTSA the secret might just be limiting the Roadrunners secondary players. Jackson and Wallace have combined for 40+ points, but they’ve yet to score 70 together against any D1 programs. They’re going to need help. If Rice can limit those secondary pieces and keep the two stars from going too ballistic, things should work out well.

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Owls in the NFL – 2018 Wrap up

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Rice football has nine alumni currently active on NFL rosters. Here’s how the NFL Owls fared through the entirety of the 2018 season.

Chris Boswell, K (Steelers) – Boswell made 13 of his 20 field goal attempts this year, missing more than four attempts for the first time in his professional career all the while dealing with injuries which caused him to miss two games. His highlight play came in Week 12, a 2-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal. He ended the season on IR.

Bryce Callahan, CB (Bears) – Callahan set career highs in tackles (45), tackles for a loss (6) and quarterback hits (5), tying personal bests for passes defended (6) and interceptions (2). Like Boswell and several other Owls, he ended his season on IR, missing the Bears’ final three games of the regular season.

Christian Covington, DE (Texans) – Covington had a strong season which came to an end in the Texan’s Wildcard Round loss to the Colts. Highlighted by a 2.5 sack breakout against the Titans in Week 12, Covington finished the year with a career-best 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits.

Phillip Gaines, CB (Browns) – Gaines started the year with the Bills before being cut after seven games. He was picked up by the Browns and played in four contests before an injury forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Between both stops he registered 39 tackles and two passes defended.

Vance McDonald, TE (Steelers) – McDonald was an important piece in the Pittsburgh offense this season, finishing third on the team in targets, receiving yards and touchdowns, trailing only Antonio Brown and Vance McDonald. All such marks were career highs.

Andrew Sendejo, S (Vikings) – Sendejo was productive for the Vikings in five weeks before suffering a groin injury that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. He started the first five weeks, registering 27 tackles, 21 of them solo. He was on pace for a career-best 67 solo tackles before his season came to an end.

Jordan Taylor, WR (Broncos) – Taylor never saw the field for Denver this season after hip surgery landed him on the PUP list to start the season. He was able to return to practice in mid-October but was never activated during the season.

Luke Wilson, TE (Lions) – Wilson started eight games for the Lions this year. He caught 13 passes for 87 yards, failing to score for the first time in his six-year NFL career.

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Pete Lembo hired by Memphis

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Pete Lembo will be named the special teams coordinator at Memphis, opening up a vacancy on the Rice football coaching staff.

The Roost can confirm reports that assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Pete Lembo is off to Memphis where he’ll join Mike Norvell’s staff.

After head coaching stints at Lehigh, Elon and Ball State, Lembo served as the special teams coordinator at Maryland for two years prior to his arrival at South Main. In one brief season with the Owls, Lembo produced a special teams unit that ranked as one of the best units in the nation across a variety of aspects.

The Rice offense and defense each had their ups and downs last season, but the special teams stayed consistently strong from start to finish. Rice was led by Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year, Jack Fox, who will pursue opportunities in the NFL this spring. Hayden Tobola finished third in the nation in field goal percentage (.909). Austin Walter finished eighth in kick off return average (27.3).

The special teams ranked 17th in the nation in overall efficiency, by far the best finish of the Owls’ three phases. Lembo’s handiwork made a positive impact on the totality of the special teams program, which ranked 114th in efficiency the year prior to Lembo’s arrival.

Expect head coach Mike Bloomgren and his staff to work quickly to fill the opening. National Signing Day is only a few weeks away, ideally, the Owls’ staff will be back at full strength before its time to finalize their 2019 class.

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MBB: Louisiana Tech win secures first winning streak for Scott Pera

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Rice basketball improved to 2-1 in conference play with their second-straight victory, earning the Owls’ first winning streak under coach Scott Pera.

For the first 38 minutes of Saturday’s matinee tilt, neither Rice nor Louisiana Tech was able to secure any kind of meaningful advantage.  The Owls earned two eight-point leads but the visiting Bulldogs rallied to retake the lead on each occasion.

Jacolby Pemberton made a layup with 4:26 remaining to give Louisiana Tech a one-point edge. After that, it was all Rice. The Owls scored 17 of the final 21 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to secure the 78-66 victory.

The win comes on the heels of a 73-65 victory on Thursday over Southern Miss. Together, the pair of victories mark the first winning streak for Scott Pera at Rice. Things are looking up for the Owls, who have the third-best record in CUSA after three games.

The Box

# Player PTS FG 3FG FT OR DR REB A PF TO BL ST MIN +/-
03* ADAMS 16 5-12 4-7 2-2 0 3 3 0 3 1 0 0 27 16
23* PETERSON 2 1-3 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 17 5
24* MULLINS 15 5-14 1-2 4-6 1 4 5 6 3 2 0 2 27 11
32* WILLIAMS 15 6-11 3-4 0-0 4 7 11 0 1 0 0 0 28 19
42* MILLORA-BROWN 6 3-6 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 3 3 1 3 0 22 -1
0 MOORE 0 0-1 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 -3
1 PARRISH 5 1-1 0-0 3-3 2 4 6 1 2 2 1 0 18 4
2 MURPHY III 8 3-7 2-6 0-0 1 5 6 1 2 0 0 0 22 3
10 MARTIN 11 3-9 1-3 4-4 1 4 5 2 0 0 0 1 27 6
35 HARRISON 0 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0

Player of the game – Ako Adams

A 12-point win doesn’t typically occur without multiple players having big days. Jack Williams tallied his second-straight double-double, but it was Ako Adams and his four three-pointers that played the most crucial role on Saturday. Adams was a momentum-making piece, extending Rice leads and erasing deficits with his smooth stroke. Adams leads the Owls with 38 triples on the season, converting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc on the year.

Up next – Road?

After playing four straight games in the friendly confines of Tudor Fieldhouse, the Owls will hit the road for a three-game road trip. Their first stop will be Thursday, Jan. 10 in San Antonio where they’ll take on UTSA at 7:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

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Owls rally to take down Southern Miss at home

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Rice basketball earned their first conference win, taking down Southern Miss at Tudor Fieldhouse, leveling the Owls’ CUSA record at 1-1.

A little more than seven minutes into the field half Rice had turned the ball over three times and connected on two shots from the field. The Owls trailed the visiting Southern Miss Eagles 16-6 and were dangerously close from one more run from their opponents pushing the game out of reach. This team stayed cool, keeping the deficit from growing.

Rice entered the half trailing by nine, still in the game, but in need of a run of their own. The Owls had shot 37 percent from the field in the first half and turned the ball over nine times. The game was well within reach, assuming Rice could reel in their missteps and focus.

Not only did Rice settle in, they outscored Southern Miss 40-23 over the final 20 minutes, clinching their first conference victory. The Owls committed just three turnovers after the break and outrebounded Southern Miss 24-15.

Player of the game – Jack Williams

When Rice had brought the game level, tied 46-46 in the second half, Jack Williams hadn’t scored any points. His first basket of the game, a three-pointer, extended the Owls’ lead to six. As Southern Miss attempted to mount a comeback, Williams hit four consecutive shots, scoring nine straight to keep Rice out in front. He finished with 12 points (all in the second half) and 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.

Up next – Louisiana Tech

Rice will get one more game at home before going back on the road. The Owls host Louisiana Tech, 11-4 (1-1), with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are coming off a road loss to the same North Texas squad that handed Rice their only CUSA loss of the season.

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