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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Charlotte

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Each of the Rice Basketball teams saw winning streaks snapped against Old Dominion. They’ll look to get back on track against Charlotte. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 15 at 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.)

Charlotte 14-10 (8-5), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 72-59 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 74-68 OT (L) at Southern Miss
  • 68-64 (W) vs UTEP
  • 91-84 (W) vs UTSA
  • 81-72 (L) at North Texas

Rice 12-14 (4-9), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU
  • 73-70 (L) vs Old Dominion

Charlotte statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jordan Shepherd – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Jahmir Young- 5.2 per game
  • Assists | Jordan Shepherd – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Cooper Robb – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Amidou Bamba – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

The Owls’ shooting pace entering the Old Dominion game was unsustainable. They’d hit more than 50 percent of their shots from the field in each of their three prior games — all victories. Dropping back down below that mark was expected. Falling all the way to 36.1 % was a bit more than regression to the mean. A stunning 8-for-37 from three was the culprit. Rice needs to find a way to be a bit more effective inside against Charlotte which ranks fourth in C-USA in three-point defense.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 15 at 3:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Halton Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Charlotte 16-7 (7-5), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 55-37 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 63-59 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 82-76 OT (L) at UTEP
  • 67-47 (W) at UTSA
  • 72-59 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 16-6 (11-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB
  • 77-60 (W) vs MTSU
  • 66-59 OT (L) at Old Dominion

Charlotte statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jade Phillips – 15.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Jade Phillips – 9.7 per game
  • Assists | Jada McMillian – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Jade Phillips – 1.5 per game
  • Blocks | Jazmin Harris – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice women’s basketball has no streak to uphold when they hit the court in Charlotte on Saturday. The Owls played hard against Old Dominion, but the focus was lacking at times. The free throw shooting was sub-par and the thin lineup wasn’t able to bounce back in a tough environment. It was an off night. Every team has those.

The Owls can put any thoughts of a drop off to bed by playing their physical brand of basketball and eliminating some of those unforced errors. To this point, Rice has proven they’re a hard to beat when they don’t beat themselves.

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Rice Baseball 2020: Previewing the Texas series

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The 2020 Rice baseball season begins with a three-game series against an in-state rival. The Owls welcome the Texas Longhorns to Reckling Park this weekend.

The long offseason is over and Rice baseball returns to the diamond on Valentine’s weekend for a three-game series with the Texas Longhorns. The Owls won their opening series a year ago, taking two of three from Rhode Island. A similar result this weekend against Texas would qualify as a great start to the 2020 campaign.

Game Notes

Times: Friday 7:00 p.m. | Saturday 5:00 p.m. | Sunday 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Reckling Park
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV (TBD)

Projected Pitching Matchups

Both staffs have question marks entering opening weekend. Here’s our best guess. Stats are from 2019.

Friday | Alex De Leon (7-3, 3.53 – JUCO) vs Bryce Elder (2-4, 2.93)
Saturday |Blake Brogdon (0-0, 27.00 – 1.1 IP) vs Ty Madden (4-1, 3.40)
Sunday | Kel Bordwine (1-3, 4.37)  OR Drake Greenwood (0-2, 7.81) vs Coy Cobb (1-3 3.45)

The availability of Roel Garcia probably impacts the pitching combinations somewhat. If he can go a few innings, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brogdon throw most of a game and Bordwine bumped into a long-relief role following a short outing from Garcia. We’ll have to see how it plays out.

Texas Pitching

Bryce Elder will be a challenging test for the Rice lineup on opening night. He’ll probably be one of the better arms the Owls face this year. He’ll be followed by Coy Cobb and most likely Ty Madden, both of which were regular starters for the Longhorns last season. Cole Quintanilla and Kamron Fields could be the first guys called from the pen. Each was among the leaders in appearances among the Texas staff last season.

Texas Hitting

The Texas lineup has a lot of talent, but most of it is unproven. Left fielder Eric Kennedy leads the way at the plate. He’s coming off a 2019 season in which he led the team with a .310 batting average and an .800 OPS. After him, center fielder Duke Ellis is probably the next most consistent hitter.

We’ll see a lot of young faces on the dirt against the Owls this weekend. Several true freshmen are likely to earn starting roles out of the gate. Two-way player Andre Duplantier and power hitter Brenden Dixon should both see plenty of action.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Old Dominion

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Both Men’s and Women’s Rice Basketball teams face pivotal matchups against Old Dominion on Thursday. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 13 at 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.)

Old Dominion 10-15 (6-6), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 65-55 (W) vs FAU
  • 68-58 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 76-73 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 85-81 OT (L) vs UTSA
  • 72-53 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 12-13 (4-8), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 72-64 (L) vs UTEP
  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Xavier Green – 12.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Aaron Carver – 10.2 per game
  • Assists | Malik Curry – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Jason Wade – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Aaron Carver – 0.6 per game

Rice keys to victory

Fresh off their first wins ever in Birmingham and Murfreesboro, Rice basketball just needs to keep the hot streak going. The Owls’ shooting has been tremendous. They’ve shot better than 50 percent from the field in three straight games — all wins. They only hit seven three-pointers against MTSU and still controlled the game.

This team has proven they can beat anyone if they’re shooting well. That’s easier said than done, but it’s a clear differentiator between success and failure.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Chartway Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Old Dominion 20-3 (10-1), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 75-63 (W) at FAU
  • 67-50 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 77-61 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 62-43 (W) at UTSA
  • 77-69 (W) at UTEP

Rice 16-6 (11-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 69-61 (W) at UTEP
  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB
  • 77-60 (W) vs MTSU

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Ajah Wayne – 11.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Amari Young – 8.4 per game
  • Assists | Taylor Edwards – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Amair Young – 2.5 per game
  • Blocks | Marie Reichert – 1.3 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice women’s basketball takes a 30-game conference winning streak into this pivotal matchup with Old Dominion. The winner leaves in first place in the conference standings with precious few weeks left to play.

Old Dominion is one of the most balanced teams in the conference. They can score and play terrific defense.  Four different Monarchs average double-digit points per game. To win, Rice needs to stay secure on the defensive end of the court and make Old Dominion make hard shots. Either way, this could be a grind-it-out, grueling finish in Virginia.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs MTSU

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Both Men’s and Women’s Rice Basketball teams are on winning streaks. Can they keep them going against Middle Tennessee on Saturday?

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 8 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Murphy Athletic Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV 

MTSU 6-18 (2-9), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 80-73 (L) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 65-63 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 67-66 (L) at UTEP
  • 83-80 (W) at UTSA
  • 75-70 (L) vs North Texas

Rice 11-13 (3-8), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 79-59 (L) at North Texas
  • 72-64 (L) vs UTEP
  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB

MTSU statistical leaders

  • Scoring | C.J. Jones – 16.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Tyson Jackson – 5.0 per game
  • Assists | Donovan Sims – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Donovan Sims – 1.7 per game
  • Blocks | Tyson Jackson – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

Beyond an incredible stretch of shooting, the Owls’ recent two-game winning streak has featured a pair of hot starts that have put a renewed sense of confidence in a team coming off a tough stretch. Rice tends to be a streaky shooting team. If the Owls can keep the game close early until they find their stroke, they might have found a recipe for success that could work.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 8 at 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN3

MTSU 16-7 (8-3), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 78-60 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 77-69 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 76-60 (W) vs UTEP
  • 69-48 (W) vs UTSA
  • 80-60 (W) at North Texas

Rice 15-6 (10-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 75-64 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 69-61 (W) at UTEP
  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB

MTSU statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Anastasia Hayes – 17.7 per game
  • Rebounds | Charity Savage – 11.2 per game
  • Assists | Anastasia Hayes – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Charity Savage – 1.9 per game
  • Blocks | Charity Savage – 1.5 per game

Rice keys to victory

This will be a rematch of last year’s conference championship game. The Owls’ won that game, but it wasn’t easy. Middle Tennesse led by eight points at halftime before Rice turned on the jets in the third quarter and eventually punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

The third quarter has been where Rice has made its move. Tina Langley’s squad makes adjustments, executes and outlasts. Saturday’s contest should be no different. If Rice can win the third quarter, they’ll have enough firepower to prevail at home.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs UAB

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Rice Basketball had a great weekend, sweeping North Texas in emphatic fashion. The men and the women return to action on Thursday against UAB.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 6 at 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Bartow Arena
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

UAB 14-9 (5-5), Last 5 (3-2)

  •  68-65 (W) at FAU
  • 84-77  (L) vs Southern Miss
  • 72-58 (L) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 76-68 (W) at UTSA
  • 69-55 (W) at UTEP

Rice 10-13 (2-8), Last 5 (1-5)

  • 81-68 (L) at Southern Miss
  • 79-59 (L) at North Texas
  • 72-64 (L) vs UTEP
  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas

UAB statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jalen Benjamin – 12.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Makhtar Gueye – 5.3 per game
  • Assists | Tyreek Scott-Grayson – 1.9 per game
  • Steals | Tavin Lovan – 1.1 per game
  • Blocks | Tyreek Scott-Grayson – 0.6 per game

Rice keys to victory

In their most recent outing, Rice proved they can beat anyone when they shoot the lights out. Barring another historic performance from the field, Rice will have to get better on the other side of the court. North Texas shot 51 percent from the field and 48.5 percent from three. Most nights, that’ll be good enough to win in Conference USA. Rice has to get that percentage down into the 40s, at least.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
TV: ESPN3

UAB 15-7 (7-3), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 92-73 (W) vs FAU
  • 74-68 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 71-51 (W) at Louisiana Tech
  • 94-55 (W) vs UTSA
  • 63-51 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 14-6 (9-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 60-47 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 75-64 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 69-61 (W) at UTEP
  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas

North Texas statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Rachael Childress – 17.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Angela Vendrell – 8.1 per game
  • Assists | Angela Vendrell – 4.7 per game
  • Steals | Angela Vendrell – 1.1 per game
  • Blocks | Angela Vendrell – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

UAB is going to trust Rachael Childress and Angela Vendrell to run the show. The matchup between those two and the Owls’ tandem of Erica Ogwumike and Nancy Mulkey will be pivotal in determining the outcome of this gam . So far, they’ve been up to the task.

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