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The Roost Podcast | Ep. 19 – 2019 North Texas Review, UTEP Preview

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Rice Football earned their second straight win, upsetting North Texas at home in Week 13. Carter and Matthew break down the win and preview UTEP.

A win on Senior Day made for positive vibes and an upbeat locker room this week. Rice football has their first winning streak under Mike Bloomgren and has their eyes on fulfilling the 3-0 challenged handed to them by former NFL coach Rex Ryan when visited the team during the previous bye week. More on how the team go to this point and reasons to believe these recent changes could bring sustained success.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 19 below.


Episode 19 Notes

  • Rice Athletics updates —  Rice Basketball had a whirlwind of a week. The men took two of three in the Bahamas Showcase with their only loss coming to the tournament champion Liberty Flames. The women dropped their second road contest of the season falling in lopsided fashion to Oklahoma State before rebounding against McNeese State on Wednesday. Volleyball dropped a heartbreaker to WKU.
  • North Texas Review — Rice has won back-to-back games despite not scoring any points after halftime. Carter and Matthew discuss the big picture offensive adjustments, the play of true freshman walk-on center Isaac Klarkowski, and the stunning defensive performance of Treshawn Chamberlain and the secondary against one of the best quarterbacks in Conference USA history.
  • UTEP Preview — For the second time this season, Rice football enters a game as a favorite. The Owls won’t let their momentum catch them off guard. Instead, the focus this week is sustained production on offense and containing the dual-threat abilities of UTEP quarterback Kai Locksley.

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Rice Basketball: Hot start not enough as Owls fall to Houston

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The blue and white-clad Rice basketball squad started red-hot, only to be cooled down by Quentin Grimes and the resilient Houston Cougars.

The crowd was roaring from start to finish at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. A fairly even mix of red and blue was hardly ever silent as cross-town rivals Rice basketball and Houston battled it out on the hardwood in front of them.

The home team that came out swinging. Two foul shots from Trey Murphy got things started. He quickly followed those with a pair of three-point bombs to give Rice an 8-0 lead. The Cougars found their success on the boards early, but their rebounding edge only had a marginal impact as Rice kept making shot after shot, after shot… after shot.

Houston cut the Rice lead to two midway through the first half before Rice went on a 13-0 run behind two long three-pointers from Robert Martin. The Cougars battled back, but a Trey Murphy dunk to close out the half gave Rice a 39-32 lead at the break.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball drops close one to No. 5 Texas A&M – Recap

The second half was a slugfest. Houston quickly equalized as the teams traded haymakers for the remainder of the contest. When Houston scored, Rice always found an answer. Robert Martin continued on from a strong first half with Drew Peterson surging with several timely shots.

The two sides traded single-digit advantages until the Cougars’ Quentin Grimes caught fire. The Kansas transfer hit four three-pointers in the final six minutes of regulation, turning a close game into an 11-point Houston lead in the final minute. The Owls did the best they could to extend the game with free throws, but Houston prevailed 97-89.

“There’s no moral victories right now in this program anymore,” head coach Scott Pera said following the game. “I thought we played winning basketball for about 34 minutes… we expected to win and we came up short.”

Player of the Game – Drew Peterson

The balance that Rice basketball has exhibited on the court since their opening night loss has been pristine. The usual suspects — Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and Ako Adams — have had big games, but, by and large, the team has worked together as a unit with stunning precision. They’re passing the ball well, finding the open man and making their shots.

Tonight’s game ball, though, goes to Drew Peterson. When Houston made their run in the second half, it was Peterson that fended them off. He was 4-for-4 from three in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“I think we win that game more times than not,” Peterson said. Houston had the last word tonight, but the Owls were able to prove to the city, and themselves, they’re here to stay. “This loss shows us more about who we can be,” Robert Martin said. “I think we’re just starting to believe.”

Up Next

This was the last home game Rice basketball will play in the next four weeks. The Owls’ next set of contests start on Friday, Nov. 22 in the Island of the Bahamas Showcase. They’ll start things off with Milwaukee on Friday at 1:00 p.m., play either Liberty or Morgan State on Saturday. Sunday’s game is TBD.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: Owls drop heavyweight fight vs No. 5 Texas A&M

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Rice Women’s Basketball took No. 5 Texas A&M down to the wire, falling a single point short in front of a packed crowd at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday.

There was no trepidation in the Owls’ eyes when No. 5 Texas A&M took the court at Tudor Fieldhouse on Sunday. Rice Women’s Basketball had missed the chance for revenge against these same Aggies last March, falling in overtime to Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted in College Station.

The Aggies scored first before Rice punched back behind a pair of baskets from Sydne Wiggins. An 8-5 lead wasn’t overly significant in the grand scheme of this 40-minute contest, but it calmed this team down and reminded them that they could play with this team, and play at this level.

More: Takeaways from Rice football’s win over MTSU

Led by Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M grabbed a 10 point lead and held the Owls at bay through the first half. Rice did most of their scoring from the free-throw line, unable to crack the rigid Aggie defense. Ferocious defense, led by Jasmine Smith kept Rice in the game. The sophomore guard came up big, drawing a charge in the final seconds before halftime prior to a Haylee Swayze three.

Trailing 36-27 at half, Rice began to pick up the pace. The defense was suffocating and the offense took advantage of their opportunities. Rice outscored their opponent 24-13 in the third quarter, clinging to a 53-49 lead at the start of the final frame.

What transpired next felt like a battle of heavyweights. It didn’t feel like C-USA vs SEC. It felt like two elite powers grappling for a resume-boosting win. Rice took a one-point lead on a layup by Erica Ogwumike in the final 24 seconds. A Texas A&M three-pointer hit iron and rattled out, but it would be the Aggies who secured the rebound and the game-winning putback.

Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey combined for 17 points. A few days removed from setting the school single-game record for blocks, Mulkey had just three swats against the Aggies. With their biggest stars held somewhat in check, the rest of the team stepped up.

Tina Langely wasn’t surprised. “Every player right now is learning that when your number is called you just have to be aggressive,” she said, crediting players the collective effort of the team who fought to the very end.

Player of the game

The loss of sharpshooter Nicole Iademarco from last year’s team left a hole in the Owls’ offensive scheme. Someone was going to have to step up and make those threes to open things up for the rest of the team’s versatile scoring options. When Rice Women’s Basketball took the court for the first time this season, freshman Lauren Schwartz was among the starting five.

Schwartz had 11 points in her first collegiate game against Nicholls St. That was a good start. But when the lights were brightest — like they were Sunday against the No. 5 team in the nation — Schwartz caught fire. She had 12 points in the third quarter alone, making two three-pointers, two more from the field and two foul shots.

“It’s not really all about me. It’s all about the team,” Schwartz said. “I couldn’t have got those open shots without the team passing the ball and making plays.” Those open shots led to a career-high 19 points and gave Rice a chance in the final moments. Three games into her collegiate career, Schwartz is shaping up to be an impactful addition to the Owls’ already potent lineup.

Up Next

The Owls will hit the road next week for a two-game stretch away from Tudor Fieldhouse. They play at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2:00 p.m. before a Wednesday battle at McNeese St on Nov. 27. That latter is scheduled to be a 12:00 p.m. tip.

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Rice Women’s Basketball: SMU upset sours Nancy Mulkey’s record game

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A record-setting outing by Nancy Mulkey was not enough to stave off upset-minded SMU who were able to hand Rice Women’s Basketball their first loss.

Nobody said it would be easy. After rolling through their first two opponents (Nicholls St and Little Rock), Rice Women’s Basketball hit the road to take on SMU. The Mustangs weren’t supposed to the big test — that was to come on Sunday against Texas A&M. But the Owls found out the hard way that every opponent they’ll face is going to be primed for an upset.

Rice started slowly, going 1-for-11 from the field with nine turnovers in the first quarter. Their ever-ready defense kept the Owls in the game, holding SMU to 10 points in the first frame. Then the Owls fired back, outscoring the home team 18-7 in the second quarter, including a 14-0 run to close out the half.

The two teams traded punches throughout the second half. Neither team had a great shooting day, with both teams finishing below 30 percent from the floor. SMU would make the ones that counted the most, including a pair of rim-rattling free throws to extend their lead to 50-43 with 43 seconds to play. The Owls had nothing left in the tank, falling on the road by a final score of 55-43.

Player of the Game

Nancy Mulkey put together a record-breaking performance in defeat. She single-game record with 11 blocks on her way to becoming the second Rice women’s basketball player to ever record a triple-double. In addition to the 11 blocks, Mulkey also tallied 11 rebounds and 15 points.

Mulkey and Ogwumike combined for 11 of the Owls’ 14 made baskets and 32 of the team’s 43 points. The supporting cast didn’t offer much support on a disappointing night for a program that had set much higher expectations for themselves than this.

Up Next

The Owls don’t have any time to feel sorry for themselves. They’ve got plenty still to play for, including their biggest game of the year upcoming. On Sunday, they host No. 5 Texas A&M at Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. A win in that game would quickly put this loss in the rearview mirror as they prepare for a full schedule ahead of them.

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Rice Basketball: Owls overcome early deficit, blast Penn in home opener

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Rice Basketball orchestrated an emphatic come-from-behind victory, stunning visiting Penn in dominant fashion on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Home court advantage took a while to kick in on Saturday, but when it did, the Owls soared. Rice basketball fell behind 9-0 before the offense woke up, the defense locked down and Penn assumed a deer-in-the-headlights position for the remainder of a decisive Rice victory.

After making one of their first eight shots from the field in the first half, Rice knocked down nine of their next 12. Timely threes by Trey Murphy and Drew Peterson got the offense back in a groove. The Owls ended the first half on an emphatic 21-4 scoring run, having no trouble gettings points from seemingly anywhere on the court.

More: Rice women’s basketball cruises past Little Rock

On the other side of the court, the Rice defense held Penn to 2-of-16 shooting to close out the first half. The early absence of starters Robert Martin and Josh Parrish, who missed the first half for disciplinary reasons, might have slowed the defensive efforts initially, but the unit found their rhythm and held it the rest of the way.

Penn didn’t roll over in the second half, but the Quakers looked shellshocked and lost against the physicality of the Owls. A 12-point halftime lead quickly ballooned to 24. The Rice advantage would hover between 16-t0-20 points for the remainder of the contest thanks to strong performances from the likes of Max Fiedler (8 pts, 11 reb), Drew Peterson (13 pts, 8 reb, 3 blk) and Quincy Olivari (10 pts, 3 reb).

Head coach Scott Pera called it “probably the most complete game we’ve played on both ends” in his three years at Rice. That’s hard to argue after seeing the team dominate a Penn squad coming off a win over Alabama a few days ago. Not only did the Owls win, they took a double-digit lead and held it for the majority of the contest.

“It’s a big one for us,” Pera said. adding “I’m going to enjoy this for a couple of hours” before Rice hosts Wayland Baptist on Sunday.

Player of the Game

The comeback was unquestionably a team effort, with a host of players stepping up on both sides of the ball. Senior point guard Ako Adams corralled the individual highlights into a continuous stream of successes. He led the way with 17 points, four assists and 31 minutes played, all team highs.

His efforts as a facilitator were critical to the flow of the offense. Equally important was his lack of turnovers. After committing six turnovers in the opener against Arkansas, he had zero against Penn, a feat he’d achieved just twice in his previous 33 games.

“It’s all a mindset,” Adams said, who seemed as locked in as he’d been for a while during the Owls big day. Coach Pera called Adams’ second half sequence, which included two three-pointers and two assists in a string of consecutive possessions, “Maybe the best eight minutes of basketball he’s played since he’s been at Rice.”

Pera credits Adams’ game with a vigorous self-assessment following the Arkansas defeat. Adams, along with the rest of the team, determined to put a complete performance on the court on Saturday. “He was tremendous,” Pera said. “He prepared the right way. He had a great mindset and approach coming in. He played a great game.”

Up Next

It’ll be a short turn around for Rice basketball. Less than 24 hours after their game against Penn, the Owls host Wayland Baptist on Sunday. That game is scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 p.m. following the conclusion of Rice Volleyball’s Senior Day matchup with Western Kentucky.

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