The source for Rice sports news

Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs LA Tech

By

Rice Basketball is four games into conference play with the men 1-3 and the women 4-0. Both teams take on Louisiana Tech next. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Thomas Assembly Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

LA Tech 12-4 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 87-47 (W) vs Southern-New Orleans
  • 80-49 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 78-50 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 89-73 (L) at UTSA
  • 64-61 (W) at UTEP

Rice 9-8 (1-3), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU
  • 92-78 (W) vs FIU

LA Tech players to watch

The Bulldogs are led by a trio of guards. Daquan Bracey will be the biggest threat the Owls will have to stop first. LA Tech’s leading scorer averaging 12.5 points per game, Bracey has finished with less than 10 points twice in his team’s 16 games. Normally a lights out shooter from deep, he’s been a bit cold from outside, a drought Rice will attempt to extend.

Kalob Ledoux and Amorie Archibald are both strong shooters, too, with an equally impressive 92 percent free throw rate.  Mubarak Muhammed is the man inside. He leads the team with 8.9 blocks per game.

Rice keys to victory

Louisiana Tech doesn’t have the best record in C-USA by accident. They’ve been a complete team averaging in the top four in both scoring offense and scoring defense so far this season. They don’t commit turnovers (12 per game, fewest in C-USA) and play smart. They rank 11th in three-point defense, an advantage Rice needs to exploit. The Owls got their first C-USA win with a big game from three. An encore performance is needed to take down Louisiana Tech.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
TV: CUSA TV

LA Tech 9-5 (1-2), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 70-66 (W) vs Grambling
  • 67-54 (W) vs Arkansas St
  • 66-60 (L) at Southern Miss
  • 82-73 (L) vs UTSA
  • 87-80 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 9-6 (4-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-69 (W) at FAU
  • 68-47 (W) at FIU

LA Tech players to watch

Keiunna Walker and Amber Dixon are the primary shooters for Louisiana Tech. Each has had good games, but they’ve struggled to both find simultaneous success. Walker is coming off games of 28 points against UTEP and 21 against UTSA. Prior to those contests, Dixon had tallied double-digits in five straight games. Anna Larr Roberson and MeMe Amand lead the team in rebounds.

Rice keys to victory

The health of Erica Ogwumike is the biggest question entering this game. She went down midway through the second half of the FIU game and has since undergone tests. It was a scary moment, but there’s optimism she will be available again soon, possibly as soon as tonight against Louisiana Tech. Losing her on the court would be a tremendous blow, but freshman Lauren Schwartz has shown flashes and would be tasked with keeping things moving if Ogwumike does miss time.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Women’s Basketball 2020: Owls top FIU to complete road sweep

By

Rice Women’s Basketball seems to have returned to form, coasting through another Conference USA win, besting FIU on the road.

When Rice women’s basketball blew out Marshall to start conference play, I asked the simple question: has Rice flipped the switch? Since then, Rice is 3-0 with victories by 8, 9 and now 21 points. Even in the closer games, the Owls had the game in the bag by the midpoint of the fourth quarter.

That was the case again on Saturday. FIU and Rice traded baskets in the first half with both teams shooting well from the floor. Then the third quarter came and Rice did what they do best, buckled down on defense and kept FIU off the board. The Panthers scored six points in the first quarter, limited to 11.8 percent shooting on 19 possessions. The Owls scored 23 points in the third to take a commanding lead, riding it to their 23rd consecutive C-USA win.

The win would have been a non-event had it not been for an injury in the third quarter to guard Erica Ogwumike. While handling the ball at the top of the key, she went down after some contact as she tried to penetrate into the paint. She was helped off the court and sat on the bench for a minute before being moved to the locker room.

Ogwumike was the preseason Conference USA player of the year and the team’s leading scorer. Her status moving forward will be closely monitored. Losing her for any length of time would be a huge blow to this team.

Final Stats

Player of the game – Jasmine Smith

A quiet star for Rice women’s basketball, Jasmine Smith continues to be incredibly consistent. In addition to scoring a team-high 12 points, she was crucial to the Owls’ success on both sides of the court. Her lock-down defense and team-leading six assists kept the team on schedule. Regardless of who else is on the court with her, Smith gives the same relentless effort.

Up Next

Rice went 2-0 on their road trip to Florida. Next, they return home for a two-game stretch at Tudor Fieldhouse. They’ll take on Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. Saturday they host Southern Miss with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball 2020: Men and Women ready for FIU on Saturday

By

Rice Basketball is three games into conference play with the men 0-3 and the women 3-0. Each seeks a win on Saturday against FIU. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FIU 11-5 (2-1), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 83-67 (W) at Stetson
  • 89-62 (L) at Minnesota
  • 69-67 (W) vs UTEP
  • 90-83 OT (W) vs UTSA
  • 74-56 (L) at North Texas

Rice 8-8 (0-3), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU

FIU players to watch

Devon Andrews will man the point of attack for the Panthers on Saturday. He’ll enter the game fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game. Andrews will be flanked  Osasumwen Osaghae, who is a rebound and a half shy of averaging a double-double this season. Osaghae leads C-USA with 68 blocks, 42 more than the runner up. Antonio Daye Jr will set the table at guard. He leads the team in assists.

Rice keys to victory

Rice has beaten themselves in their last three conference games just as much as their opponents have gotten the better of them. Playing 40 minutes of focused, controlled basketball has eluded this team. If Rice can keep things close and avoid a double-digit deficit at home, they’re capable of going on a few scoring runs and beating FIU. They’ll need to shoot better to do that; FIU leads C-USA in scoring with 80.4 points per game.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Ocean Bank Convocation Center
TV: C-USA TV

FIU 4-10 (1-2), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 58-56 (L) vs Austin Peay
  • 72-57 (L) vs Brown
  • 64-34 (L) at UTEP
  • 60-45 (L) at UTSA
  • 58-56 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 7-6 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-699 (W) at FAU

FIU players to watch

FIU is led by a trio of players: center Chelsea Guimaraes and guards Jiselle Thomas and Fujika Nimmo. All three are averaging roughly 10 points per game, with Guimaraes providing a steady presence inside. At 6-foot-3, she leads the team with 110 rebounds and 12 blocks.

Rice keys to victory

The FIU women rank dead last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 53.1 points per game. If Rice plays their brand of basketball, they’ll keep FIU from putting up too many points. The real battle will be on the other side of the court where a middle-of-the-pack FIU defense will try to limit a Rice offense that has been streaky at times.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball 2020: Men and Women set to take on FAU

By

Rice Basketball is two games into conference play with the men 0-2 and the women 2-0. Both face a new test on Thursday against FAU. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FAU 10-5 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 84-35 (W) vs Tampa
  • 65-50 (W) at Mercer
  • 60-58 (L) at USF
  • 70-64 (W) vs UTSA
  • 59-56 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 8-7 (0-2), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 96-84 (W) vs HBU
  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU

FAU players to watch

Cornelius Taylor leads the team in scoring (10.4 points per game) with Michael Forrest right behind him (9.9 points per game). Forrest has been in a bit of shooting slump of late, but his tremendous work from the charity stripe has made him a valuable offensive asset. Madiaw Niang (4.8 per game) and Jailyn Ingram (3.9 per game) are the top rebounders.

Rice keys to victory

FAU is an extremely balanced team. They’ve had four leading scorers in five games, but have one 20-point individual performance since their season opener. Unlike other team’s Rice will face in C-USA, that the Owls will have to key in on more than others. Nevertheless, standing tall on defense has to be the priority. Rice is 5-1 when holding their opponent to 70 points or fewer, with that lone loss coming last weekend to WKU.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Venue: FAU Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FAU 7-6 (1-1), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 72-54 (L) vs Central Connecticut
  • 69-63 (L) vs Furman
  • 69-51 (L) vs Harvard
  • 80-53 (W) vs UTSA
  • 96-65 (L) vs UTEP

Rice 7-6 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 77-55 (W) vs Prairie View A&M
  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU

FAU players to watch

Crystal Primm has cooled down since conference play began, but her 31-point performance against Little Rock earlier this year is proof of how dangerous she can be. She’s the top scorer for FAU this season, averaging 13.7 points per game, also registering three double-doubles along the way. Lotta Vehka-Aho is the key distributor, averaging 3.2 assists per game, top 10 in C-USA. Juliette Gauthier and Astou Gaye round out the rest of the key pieces.

Rice keys to victory

FAU doesn’t force many turnovers and ranks 12th in C-USA in assist/turnover ratio. Rice is going to get extra possessions on Thursday and they’ll need to take advantage of them. Turnovers have been an issue for Rice lately, including 20 last time out against WKU. Taking care of the basketball on both ends of the court will go a long way toward Rice coming home with a victory.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball 2020: Men and women ready for test vs WKU

By

Rice Basketball is in the midst of conference play. The men are 0-1 while the women are 1-0. Both take on WKU on Saturday with the women at home. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Venue: E.A. Diddle Arena
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN3

WKU 8-5 (1-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 76-74 (L) at Wright State
  • 86-79 OT (W) vs Arkansas
  • 86-82 OT (L) at Rhode Island
  • 76-62 (L) vs Belmont
  • 93-84 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 8-6 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 73-60 (L) at Lamar
  • 96-84 (W) vs HBU
  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall

WKU players to watch

Earlier this season Western Kentucky picked up a huge win over SEC power Arkansas, but it came at a tremendous cost. Star center Charles Bassey suffered a leg injury in that game that will force him to miss the entire season. A different man has led the Tops in scoring in each of their next three games, but Carson Williams has filled the void admirably. He’s averaging 17.3 points and seven rebounds per game without Bassey.

Rice keys to victory

Rice basketball has lived and died by the three this season. When the Owls aren’t making their outside shots, they’ve struggled to finish games. Rice is 2-4 when making less than 30 percent of their threes and 6-2 when shooting better than mark, including a season-high 52 percent against UC Santa Barbara. WKU has allowed 102 threes against them in 13 games.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Field House
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

WKU 8-4 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 74-63 (W) vs Oklahoma
  • 91-86 OT (W) at Ball St
  • 88-84 (W) at Samford
  • 67-50 (L) at Purdue
  • 61-54 (L) at North Texas

Rice 6-6 (0-0), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 63-56 (L) at Texas Southern
  • 77-55 (W) vs Prairie View A&M
  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall

WKU players to watch

WKU will rely on a three-way attack, spearheaded by junior forward Raneem Elgedawy. She leads the team in scoring and rebounds. Dee Givens provides an outside presence, knocking down a team-best 26 threes. Whitney Creech is the distributor, averaging 4.3 assists per game while also forcing 1.9 steals.

Rice keys to victory

Whatever adjustments Rice made between nonconference play and their C-USA opener against Marshall, they need to keep. The Owls looked transformed, playing their best defense of the season. That will be important against WKU, who enters the weekend as the No. 2 scoring offense in Conference USA.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts