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Rice Basketball bounced by North Texas in CUSA Tournament

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In a game that never felt close, Rice basketball saw its Conference USA Tournament run come to a close in a blowout loss to favorite North Texas.

“Playing with house money” is the phrase Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera used when previewing Thursday night’s game against North Texas when he met with his team following the Owls’ opening win of the Conference USA Tournament over Charlotte. He knew the odds were stacked against his team against the league’s No. 1 squad. He was right.

North Texas hit Rice hard from the jump, converting their first nine two-point shots. Whether it was Max Fiedler or Myljael Poteat inside, Rice had no answer in the paint. At the same time, Rice struggled to get into any sort of offensive rhythm against Conference USA’s best defensive squad.

“We didn’t bring our A-game and that’s what happens,” Pera said, summing up a rough two hours of basketball in one quaint refrain.

Last Time Out: Rice Basketball pounds the paint, tops Charlotte in CUSA Tourney

Trailing 14-9 in the first half, the Owls sputter became a slump.  A 14-0 North Texas run spanned part of a 10 minute, 34-second streak in which Rice didn’t hit a single field goal. They missed all eight of their shots during that time. By the time Max Fiedler finally got the Owls a bucket, the North Texas lead had ballooned to 20 points. Rice would go into halftime down by 18.

Rice wouldn’t find any relief after the break. Beat up and, as Pera put it without “a ton of juice”, things spiraled. North Texas’ first three field goals of the second half were three-pointers, giving them six triples to the Owls’ singular made three.

With the edge on the boards, in the paint and from distance, there wasn’t much Rice was able to do to fight back. North Texas would sprint through the half, closing out their third win of the season over Rice in convincing fashion.

Player Spotlight | Mylyjael Poteat

Poteat subbed in quickly once it became clear North Texas would have its way on the interior of both sides of the court. He struggled at times against the Mean Green, too, but finished with a team-high 10 points and four rebounds, missing time with an apparent injury suffered on his way to the basket. On a night filled with misses, Poteat made 4-of-5 and remains a bright spot for the future.

Stat Corner | Two

There were a myriad of stats that went against the Owls in a game that got away from them rather quickly. Perhaps the most fitting was the Owls’ hallmark measure: three-point shots. Rice made just two three-point shots, a season-low. They’d been held to three or fewer triples by just one other opponent this season, fittingly, North Texas who had held them to three apiece in each of their previous meetings.

Final Box | North Texas 58 – Rice 50

Up Next |

The Conference USA Tournament loss marks the end of all currently scheduled games for Rice basketball. As things currently stand, they’ll be in the mix for postseason action. Details of if the Owls make any field and who/when they’ll play next will be made available in the coming days.

Pera said he believes there might still be a postseason spot for this team. “Any time we can late in March in this program, that’s the goal. That’s what we’re striving to do,” he said of any potential postseason bid. “We’ll be exciting as heck to get that opportunity.”

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Rice Basketball attacks the paint, moves past Charlotte in C-USA Tournament

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On a night when the threes weren’t falling, Rice Basketball slammed the paint and overwhelmed Charlotte to advance in the Conference USA Tournament.

It became apparent very quickly the second-round game between Rice basketball and Charlotte wouldn’t be following the Owls’ conventional script. Rice started 0-for-6 from three but adjusted with quick feeds to Max Fiedler and attacking drives from their guards. Rice scored their first 12 points from the paint or the free throw line, rigorously working outside in and finding success.

Rather than steer away from what was working, Rice leaned into it. The Owls would make 3-of-6 threes to end the first half, but the bulk of their attempts came inside. It was Myljael Poteat who led the way in scoring for Rice in the first half, outscoring all of the Owls’ usual outside shooters and Fiedler. Altogether, the Rice interior attack allowed the Owls to control the pace of the game.

Last Time Out: Rice Basketball fades down stretch, falls to UTSA

With Travis Evee struggling from the field (0-for-6), Rice kept the ball in the hands of Carl Pierre on drives to the lane (16 points) and their duo of big men, Fiedler and Poteat throughout the second half. Spurts of 5-point, 6-point and 7-point runs were able to outpace the Charlotte offense, which struggled.

“I can’t say it enough,” Pierre said after the game. “I’m really proud of our execution. We came out, we played hard and got the dub.”

The Rice defense held Charlotte to 34.8 percent shooting from the field, one of their better showings of the season when they needed it most.

When asked to envision a scenario in which the Owls won a Conference USA Tournament game by double-digits despite one three combined from Pierre, Evee and the (now injured) Quincy Olivari, Pera’s answer was immediate: “You’re crazy.”

But that’s exactly what the Owls were able to accomplish.

Charlotte’s final push came at the 8-minute mark. The 49ers cut the Owls’ lead to eight, but that’s the last time the game would be within double-digits. A three from Riley Abercrombie and subsequent baskets from Terrance McBridge extended the Rice lead to 15, allowing the Owls to coast to the victory.

“We rely on those guys so much. Obviously, and they’ve been so good for us all year long,” Pera said of Pierre, Evee and Olivari. “But you’ve got to learn to win in other ways, especially in March.” They certainly did that in this one.

Player Spotlight | Max Fiedler

Sometimes lost in the shuffle of the Owls’ three-point barrage, Fiedler was the glue for Rice on both ends of the court tonight. He tied for the team lead with eight rebounds and had 12 points, converting on 5-of-7 shots from the field. As if that wasn’t enough, he also had a team-high six assists. “That’s when he’s at his best,” Pera remarked, “really making those great passes.”

In many ways, Fiedler displayed the kind of veteran moxie teams need to make runs in March. Without him, Rice doesn’t win this game.

Stat Corner | Twos count too

Rice basketball went 4-of-18 from three on Wednesday night, normally a line that would have doomed this team to an early exit from the conference tournament, especially with Evee and Pierre combining for one successful three following their record-setting season as a three-point duo.

The Owls were able to overcome that because of their proficiency from close range. Rice made 23-of-35 two-point shot attempts (65.7 percent). They were making just about everything from inside and they kept shooting them. When it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

Final Box | Rice 73 – Charlotte 61

Up Next | Full Schedule

Officially moving on, Rice basketball draws North Texas, the No. 1 seed in the West in the next round. The Owls and Mean Green squared off twice in the regular season, the Owls lost both by wide margins. Both games came after shocks to the Rice lineup. The first contest was the first game back from a multi-week COVID-induced break. The next came shortly after Quincy Olivari’s season-ending injury.

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Malia Fisher’s big day propels Rice Women’s Basketball past Marshall

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Rice Women’s Basketball won its first Conference USA Tournament game on Wednesday, soaring past Marshall thanks to Malia Fisher’s big day.

Earlier this season, Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds had talked about the importance of winning the third quarter. That need had progressed to winning the fourth quarter as the Owls struggled to close games out at the start of conference play.

On Wednesday morning in their opening game of the Conference USA Tournament, Rice won the second quarter, and they did so with such an emphatic blow it set the tone for the remainder of the contest, one in which they would go on to score 80 points, a Rice women’s Basketball Conference USA Tournament record.

The Owls took a three-point lead out of the first quarter and opened with an 8-0 run to kick off the second period. It was the Owls’ defense though, combined with a voracious desire to attack the basket, that left the most resounding mark. Marshall would make just two field goals in the second quarter, shooting a meager 11.1 percent from the field. Conversely, Rice went to the line 12 times in the frame and knocked down all 12 shots.

Last Time Out: Rice Women’s Basketball rains down threes, beats UTSA

Leading 38 to 25 at halftime, all Rice had to do was buckle down and hold the line. That’s exactly what they did. Marshall would get their deficit back within single digits on a few occasions early in the third quarter, but from the moment Maya Bokenewicz drained her second three-pointer of the day with 6:17 to play in the third, it was a runaway win for the Owls.

“We’re definitely playing our best basketball,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds remarked. “The proof is in our record. We’re clicking.”

Rice would extend their lead to as many as 18, maintaining at least a 14 point advantage for the duration of the fourth quarter. Marshall never got within striking distance and the Owls were able to coast down the stretch to their first win of the tournament.

Player Spotlight | Malia Fisher

With Ashlee Austin sidelined with foul trouble, Rice women’s basketball was going to need someone to help shoulder the load. Malia Fisher answered the call with one of the most spectacular outings of her young career. Days removed from being named to the All-Conference team, Malia Fisher put on a rebounding clinic in Frisco, TX.

Fisher ended the game with 16 rebounds, nearly tying her career-best 18-rebound game against FIU just a few short weeks ago. She also added 17 points.

“I wasn’t aware of [having a double-double] until I came out in the last couple minutes until I came out,” Fisher said. “You just go out there and play. I’m not really worried about the numbers. A win is a win.”

Coach Edmonds was elated to see Fisher’s success but stressed this was just the beginning of the freshmen’s abilities. “Her ceiling is extremely high. We’re tapping into that, but we’re not even close. The future is very, very bright for Malia,” Edmonds said. “She’s an unbelievable young lade. I’m glad she’s wearing that uniform.”

Stat Corner | Free throws and free points

Rice did a lot of things well against Marshall, but their dominance at the free throw line might have been the most impactful differentiator. The Owls hit 25-of-27 free throws (92.6 percent). Marshall attempted just 15, but made a woeful eight of those attempts (53.3 percent).

While the Herd handed away points at the stripe, Rice stockpiled them. It would have been enough to give Rice the win in a close game. As well as they played on Wednesday, it was enough to comfortably send them to the second round.

Final Box | Rice 80 – Marshall 62

Up Next | Full Schedule

With the win, Rice women’s basketball advances to the third round of the Conference USA Tournament where they’ll face Charlotte, the No. 1 seed in the East. The Owls and 49ers played a 4 OT thriller in the regular season with the 49ers coming out on top in that contest.

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Rice Baseball drops first Silver Glove matchup vs Houston

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Shaky defense soured a productive evening for the Rice baseball offense as the Owls fell to Houston in Game 1 of the Silver Glove Series.

The recent string of strange, painful games accumulated by Rice baseball this season continued on Tuesday night. Amidst a backdrop of errors and missed opportunities, Parker Smith delivered a strong performance, eventually be saddled with five runs, although only three were earned.

The drama began on what should have been a routine fly-ball hit to left fielder Jack Ben-Shoshan in the first inning. Instead of out number two, the ball bounced off his glove and put two runners in scoring position. Both would come in to score, spotting the visiting Cougars to a 2-0 lead.

Last Time Out : Takeaways from Rice Baseball 3-1 series loss to Harvard

Rice would leave the bases loaded in the second before loading them once more in the third inning, despite not tallying any hits. Aaron Smigelski would take care of that evasive base knock, delivering a two-run double to spot Rice to a 3-2 lead. That advantage would last mere minutes before Houston found the equalizer in the fourth when a would-be base stealer would score from second on a pair of errors.

Soon after, Rice found themselves trailing 5-3 and began to chip away. Rice scored would engineer runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, tying things up with Houston 6-6 after the Owls allowed another unearned run following another outfield mishap.

On the mound, Garrett Zaskoda was extremely effective after taking the reigns from Cooper Chandler in his first relief appearance of the season. Zaskoda tied a career-high with four strikeouts, giving the team a fighting chance in the middle innings which they’d hold until an RBI double scored the winning runs against Zaskoda’s replacement, Brandon Deskins, in the eighth.

What they’re saying | Fix the fielding

Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. was quick to praise the strong outings on the mound, giving nods to several individuals including Chandler, who essentially threw his midweek bullpen session in the game. The critical comments came when addressing the fielding woes. “I don’t know how you can possibly have five errors and win a game,” he said. “That’s just something that we’re going to have to fix. The amount of errors we’ve had in so many games is just unacceptable.”

Cruz Jr. went as far as to say he’d consider moving players to the bench if they couldn’t hold on to the baseball. At this point, everything is on the table as he and the rest of the coaching staff work to assemble the best starting lineup to win games.

“We had three errors in the outfield today and that’s crazy town. I mean, that doesn’t happen,” Cruz Jr. said. Indeed, it hasn’t happened for Rice baseball since an eight error game against Arizona in 2019, spread across a host of different position players.

What it means | Offense waking up?

Seven runs against anyone is a particularly important milestone for a team that’s struggled at the plate early this season. Tuesday was proof the Owls can get the bats going. Now they just need to do it consistently.

They might start working on a bust of Aaron Smigeliski to keep in the Rice baseball dugout. After pinch hits in his first two appearances of the season, Smigelski earned his spot in the regular lineup where he stayed until being hit by a pitch in the Sunday finale against Lamar. That injury kept him out of the lineup against Baylor and through the weekend series against Harvard.

He made his return to the order on Tuesday, walking in his first plate appearance to earn an eight-game on-base streak. He one-upped that accolade in his second plate appearance, blasting a double to the alley in right-center, turning a 2-1 Rice deficit into a 3-2 Rice lead. It was the Owls’ only hit of the first three innings, but it was the biggest. He also added a productive out to advance a runner in the seventh.

At a time when the bats around him were struggling, Smigelski made every trip to the plate count, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. In all seriousness, it’ll take more than a good couple of weeks to earn some tangible hardware. But in a season filled with lows for Rice baseball, Smigelski has been a bright light.

Jack Riedel also earned a mention. Despite not starting the game and coming in as a defensive replacement in the fourth inning he finished a triple short of the cycle, mashing his first career home run along the way.

ON DECK | Texas Tech

The extended Rice baseball homestand marches on this coming weekend with a three-game set against Texas Tech. First pitch for Friday is set for 6:30 p.m. The series will be the Owls’ final non-conference weekend slate before opening up conference play the following weekend against UAB.

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Rice Football to hire CJ Anderson as running backs coach

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All signs point to Rice football naming former Super Bowl 50 champion and All-Pro rusher CJ Anderson as its next running backs coach.

Just days away from the start of spring practice, Rice football will have a new face to introduce among its coaching ranks. Former NFL running back CJ Anderson has announced he will be joining the Owls’ staff as the running backs coach.

Anderson spent last season as the head coach at Monte Vista High School in California where his team went 7-3. MVHS won its first seven games of the season after gaining winless during the previous spring season.

A Pro Bowl selection in 2014 and Super Bowl 50 champion, Anderson brings a weighty resume to the running backs room at South Main. He rushed for 1,007 yards in 2017 and also helped lead the Los Angeles rams to the NFC Championship game in 2018.

Head coach Mike Bloomgren has always preached having an NFL Curriculum. Bringing a player like Anderson who has done it at the highest level fits that bill.

More: Rice football adds 2023 game with UConn

Anderson will fill the final coaching spot vacated earlier this offseason by Robbie Picazo, who had served as the Owls’ running back coach for the past two seasons.

Picazo accepted a role as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans under their new head coach Lovie Smith. Up until this point, he had been one of the longest-tenured Rice assistants, originally coming with Bloomgren from Stanford.

Rice begins spring practice on March 8.

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