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Rice Basketball escapes Sharp Gym with win over HCU

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Rice Basketball struggled from the start, overcoming poor possessions and bad breaks to escape with the victory over Houston Christian on Friday.

Days removed from a dominant road win over Louisiana, it took Rice basketball some time to recover from some sort of post-win funk. Rice turned the ball over six times in the first six minutes against Houston Christian, spotting the hosting Huskies an eight point lead.

The Owls entered this game with an 14-3 all-time record in the series and certainly didn’t expect to find themselves trailing by such a sizable margin so quickly. Spotting the Huskies 10 points off turnovers in the first half alone played a significant role in that deficit. Fortunately Rice was able to regroup quickly and take better care of the basketball, committing just two turnovers in the remainder of the half while turning that deficit into a 29-29 tie at the break.

More: Rice Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

The grimy slugfest endured into the second half. Alem Huseinovic was bound to the bench with foul trouble, picking up his third at the start of the half and a fourth before the 13th minute. Houston Christian had three players with three fouls to that point, but was able to skirt serious foul trouble.

It didn’t seem to matter who was on the court next, though. HCU went on a 16-3 run as Rice went cold from the floor, making one of six shots with four more turnovers.

With their backs against the wall, Rice found a way. Trae Broadnax spurred the team back from the brink. Rice would go on to outscore HCU 25-11 in the final 12 minutes, knocking down their free throws and procuring a final, excellent defensive possession in the clutch to sneak out of Sharp Gym with a win.

Final Box | Rice 61, Houston Christian 58

Key takeaway | Turnover troubles

Perhaps no moment summed up this contest better than the sequence following a Rice timeout taken with 12:43 to play in the second half, a timeout that was called in response to sloppy play which put Rice in its second eigh-point deficit of the evening.

Out of that stoppage Rice turned the ball over. Houston Christian scooped it up and went the other way, laying it up for two points plus the foul. Rice finished this game with 16 turnovers. Houston Christian had 4 The Owls’ dominant 46 to 25 edge on the boards was rendered moot by their inability to do anything with the basketball in their hands.

Fortunately for Rice, they made their free throws tonight and were able to maintain their defensive intensity while they toiled on the opposite end of the court. These are the kind of games that aren’t fun to review in the film room, but they’re much easier to work through when you find a way to come out of top.

Up Next: Nassau Championship vs Hofstra (Fri, Nov. 29), vs Arkansas State (Sat, Nov. 30), vs Iona (Sun, Dec. 1)

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Rice Football: Behind enemy lines with a UAB Insider

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UAB is next up on the 2024 Rice football schedule so we’re going behind enemy lines with Blazers’ insider Evan Dudley from AL.com.

Blazers’ insider Evan Dudley of AL.com was kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions about the upcoming matchup between Rice Football and UAB. The answers below should shed some light on the Owls’ upcoming opponent.

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Rice Women’s basketball comes up short at Gonzaga

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Rice Women’s Basketball traded blows with Gonzaga for four quarters before running out of steam late, falling on the road.

Emily Klaczek and Hailey Adams were determined that Rice women’s basketball would get off on the right foot in their first foray out from the confines of Tudor Fieldhouse. Klazcek got things started with seven first quarter points including a three-pointer to get the Owls back within one-score after a hot start from Gonzaga. Adams had seven in the frame too, becoming the driving force for the team in the early goings.

Adams would lead all scorers in the first half with 13 points, already a season-high. She added six boards along the way, all before the halftime buzzer. Her final basket of the half put Rice ahead of Gonzaga for the first time with 2:28 to go in the second quarter. Gonzaga would take a one-point lead into the half, but thanks to that tandem of Klaczek and Adams, the game was on.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

The lead would exchange hands seven times in the third quarter. Neither side led by more than two possessions and the game was tied twice but it was the visiting Owls in front when the fourth quarter commenced.

Back and forth they went with the lead changing 12 times before the final buzzer sounded and it the outcome of the game hung in the balance until the final minutes. The teams were tied at 64 points apiece with 2:24 to play in the fourth quarter. That’s when Rice missed a few key shots and Gonzaga rolled to a crushing 10-0 run.

The final margin would be just three, representative of a game that truly went down to the wire. Unfortunately for the Owls, they came down on the wrong side.

Final Box | Gonzaga 72, Rice 69

Key takeaway | Missed opportunity

Gonzaga was picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference in the preseason polls. When it comes to building a non-conference resume for a potential NCAA bid, these are the kinds of games you need to win. The Owls came up short.

Malia Fisher still has yet to play this season. Gonzaga had just recently had a streak of 36 consecutive home victories ended last week by Cal. This won’t be an ugly when it comes time for resume comparisons in March, but it’s a missed opportunity all the same.

Over the course of their non-conference slate thus far this team has proven they can hang with anyone. That’s undeniable. But there are only so many opportunities left before AAC play arrives. That sets up an important week ahead in Cancun.

Up Next: vs BYU (Thr. 11/28), vs Vermont (Fri. 11/29)

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Rice Football 2024: Bye Week 2 Practice Report

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Rice football has two games left in the regular season and UAB is next on the docket. Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

After a lighter week of work on the practice field last week, Rice football returned to work in earnest this week following the bye. A relatively healthy group, all things considered, should be close to full strength for this final two-game set of the regular season. Here’s where the team stands prior to the UAB game this weekend.

More: Rice Football Head Coaching Search — Names to Know ($)
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Rice Basketball buries Louisiana with late run

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Rice Basketball left no doubt who was the better team on Tuesday night, powering past Louisiana behind a dominant 24-2 run in the second half.

It was hard to reconcile the Rice basketball team which took the court against Louisiana with the one that narrow escaped Houston days prior with an overtime win over Northwestern State. The Owls never got into a groove in that contest, something they made sure to remedy quickly in their next meeting with a squad from the Pelican State.

Rice opened the game on a 17-6 run sparked by a pair of three-pointers from Denver Anglin off the bench. Anglin’s hot start was indicative a team which had finally begun to look comfortable on the offensive side of the court for perhaps the first time this season. He would finish with a career-high 20 points on five threes, setting the tone for what became a dominant Rice win.

More: Rice Basketball 2024-2025 Season Preview

It took some work to get there, though. While Rice basketball led by as many as 11 in the first half, there was a hiccup in the final few minutes, allowing Louisiana to close the frame with a 12-2 run of their own.

Rather than being intimidated or frustrated about the lost lead the Owls their margin no worse than even, arriving at a 50-50 tie with the Ragin’ Cajuns with 13:37 to play. Rice would go on to outscore Louisiana 33-11 from that point onward, including a stretch where the Owls outpaced their foes 24-2.

Buoyed by consistent defense and an encouraging offensive performance, Rice rode the wave to their most decisive victory of the 2024-2025 season thus far. With the win, Rice improves to 4-1.

Final Box | Rice 83, Louisiana 61

Key takeaway | The little things add up

Following a win over Louisiana Monroe, Rice basketball head coach Rob Lanier issued a challenge to his team, crediting their defensive play first while still demanding more. “If you really get good at keep getting the ball the back, then what you do with it matters,” he said.

Yes, Rice shot the ball well tonight. Their 55 percent clip from the floor was their highest mark of the season by more than eight points. But it’s those rebounds that made the biggest difference.

Rice dominated Louisiana at the rim, snagging 45 boards to the Cajuns’ 29. Rice had 33 defensive rebounds. Louisiana had 15. Rice had 12 offensive boards, nearly grabbing more at the rim than their opponents. All those extra opportunities added up. Rice scored 17 second-chance points. When you win by more than 20, those additional chances tend to come into play.

Up Next: at Houston Christian (Fri, Nov. 22)

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