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MBB: Owls’ hope visit to Charlotte will be first CUSA road win

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Rice basketball has hit a rough patch. If the Owls want to get back on track they must take down Charlotte away from home.

With both programs sitting at 1-4 over their last five games, something’s got to give. Either the Charlotte 49ers three-game skid will snap or Rice will earn their first road victory in conference play. Both programs are teetering on the edge of the bottom spot in the conference standings, making a win on Thursday all the more important.

The game is not scheduled for TV broadcast but will be available on CUSA TV. Radio is available via the Stretch Internet Portal.

Charlotte 5-15 (2-7), Last 5 (1-4)

  • L, 57-53 @ UTEP
  • L, 88-43 @ UTSA
  • L, 76-70 vs Old Dominion
  • W, 55-40 vs Louisiana Tech
  • L, 64-60 vs Southern Miss

Rice 8-13 (3-5), Last 5 (1-4)

  • L, 89-86 vs UAB
  • W, 79-68 vs MTSU
  • L, 76-75 @ North Texas
  • L, 65-64 @ UTEP
  • L, 95-79 @ UTSA

Charlotte players to watch

It’s all senior Jon Davis or bust for the 49ers. His 21 points per game rank second in CUSA. He’s a talented player, but history says Charlotte can’t win very often on his hand alone. Freshman Malik Martin and Brandon Younger have had their moments, but outside of Martin’s 1.4 steals per game and Younger’s 35.6 clip from three, there hasn’t been much assistance for the 49ers’ veteran star.

Rice keys to victory

Making the extra pass has been a philosophy preached by head coach Scott Pera over the past several weeks. Getting his players to pass up the open shot for a more open look has paid dividends, with his team scoring 75 or more points in three straight games including 86 points in their loss to UAB, the second-most points they’ve scored in a conference game this season.

Charlotte owns the worst scoring offense in the conference. At 59.2 points per game the 49ers aren’t likely to outshoot the Owls — they’ve never scored more than 66 points in a victory this season. Continuing to ride the hot hand, whether it be Trey Murphy, Chris Mullins, Jack Williams or someone else should be enough to power Rice past Charlotte.

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MBB: Owls’ seek another streak with home with over UAB

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Two days after ending a three-game losing streak Rice basketball looks to even their conference record at .500 with a win over UAB on Saturday.

Rice entered conference play with a 5-8 record. The Owls had put together some strong performances, but the consistency was lacking. They needed time to regroup and refocus. It’s almost as if a different team showed up after the holiday break. Their win over Middle Tennesse puts them one win away from returning to the middle of the pack in Conference USA.

To get back to .500 Rice will have to dispatch a UAB squad which has won three straight games, all against opponents who beat the Owls this season. Barring additional sets of unforeseen circumstances, the team will be ready for the Blazers on Saturday. A win would give Rice a tw0-game winning streak, their second of the season.

The game is scheduled for broadcast on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. CT. Radio is available via the Stretch Internet Portal.

UAB 13-7 (5-2), Last 5 (3-2)

  • W, 52-49 @ North Texas
  • W, 83-73 vs UTSA
  • W, 76-63 vs UTEP
  • L, 73-68 @ Southern Miss
  • L, 64-53 @ Louisiana Tech

Rice 8-12 (3-4), Last 5 – (2-3)

  • W, 79-68 vs MTSU
  • L, 76-75 vs North Texas
  • L, 65-64 @ UTEP
  • L, 95-79 @ UTSA
  • W, 78-66 vs Louisiana Tech

UAB players to watch

For most of the year, UAB has won basketball games with a suffocating defense. The Blazers rank fourth in CUSA with 65.8 points allowed per game and second in field goal percentage allowed, 40.1 percent. It’s been a complete team effort, sort of how the offense has gone for UAB, too.

Rice will have to keep their focus on the combination of Zach Bryant, Jalen Perry and Lewis Sullivan. The trio leads UAB in minutes played and seem to alternate on the night which of the three will have a big game. Most recently it was Bryant, who knocked down 6-of-13 from the field for 17 points, tied for his most productive shooting night in conference play.

Rice keys to victory

Play all 40 minutes of Saturday’s tilt with UAB with the same intensity of the final eight minutes against Middle Tennessee. After the second to last scheduled media time out the Owls outscored their opponents by 12, seizing control late in the game.

Rice shot 70 percent from the field after the timeout. Middle Tennessee shot 33 percent. A strong defensive performance from the Owls was just as important as their made shots down the stretch. This team has proven when both sides of the ball are operating well, they can beat anyone on their schedule.

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MBB: Owls set for get-right game against Middle Tennessee

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Rice basketball returns home reeling from back-to-back one-point road defeats. Can the Owls right their fortunes against Middle Tennessee?

A pair of one-point losses separates Rice from a 4-2 conference record, a mark which would tie them for fourth in the conference standings. Instead, the Owls sit at 2-4 in desperate need for another win to prevent a short stretch of bad luck from snowballing.

Coming off a game against North Texas, CUSA’s most winningest team, Rice returns home to play Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders own the worst winning percentage in the conference (5-14). This is the Owls’ get-right game. It’s not a must-win contest, but the schedule is going to get tough again in February. Rice needs to capitalize on this opportunity.

The game is not scheduled for TV broadcast but will be available on CUSA TV. Radio is available via the Stretch Internet Portal.

Middle Tennessee 5-14 (2-4), Last 5 (2-3)

  • W, 75-72 vs UTEP
  • W, 89-86 vs UTSA
  • L, 73-56 @ Louisiana Tech
  • L, 77-70 @ Southern Miss
  • L, 63-56 vs FAU

Rice 7-12 (2-4), Last 5 – (2-3)

  • L, 76-75 vs North Texas
  • L, 65-64 @ UTEP
  • L, 95-79 @ UTSA
  • W, 78-66 vs Louisiana Tech
  • W, 73-65 vs Southern Miss

Middle Tennesse players to watch

Middle lives on the shooting hand of junior guard Antonio Green. They are 5-6 when Green scores 20 points and 0-8 when he’s held to 19 points or fewer. His 18.5 points per game are sixth most in Conference USA and he ranks fifth in with a 34.6 percent conversion rate on his three point shots.

Outside of Green the Blue Raiders get thin, fast. Sophomore guard Donovan Sims has scored a combined 36 points with nine rebounds and nine assists on their two-game winning streak. Junior Forward Reggie Scurry tied his season high in points on Saturday in their win over UTEP.

Rice keys to victory

This is a low volume offense that gives up 75.8 points per game. The Blue Raiders don’t score a ton, averaging 66.6 points. Rice scores at a much more aggressive clip, 75.3 points per game, but have given up 79.2 points per contest. If Rice plays their game and stays disciplined with the ball in their hands, the Owls should have too much offensive firepower for MTSU to keep up with.

The offense is only going to be as lethal as Chris Mullins makes it. After scoring double-digit points in 12-straight games, Mullins was held to six in the loss to North Texas on 2-of-6 shooting from the field. He hasn’t led the team in scoring since racking up 17 points against Omaha in late December.

Ako Adams and Jack Williams have helped carry the load offensively, but this team needs a bit more umph to put them over the edge. Mullins has that kind of talent.

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MBB: Owls prep for rematch with North Texas

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Rice basketball enters their rematch with North Texas with a sour taste in their mouth from the UTEP finish. Can the Owls rebound with a win over the Mean Green?

To say Rice fans, the team and head coach Scott Pera are frustrated with how the final seconds of the Owls’ road loss* to UTEP were officiated would be an understatement. Despite Conference USA’s ruling the “clock did not start on time” there won’t be any changes to the Owls’ record, which now sits at 2-3 in conference play. Time to move on.

Outside of a rough outing in their first CUSA road game against UTSA, Rice has been competitive in each of their five conference games to this point. That includes a 103-87 loss to North Texas, a game in which Rice led by double-digits early on.

Since downing Rice, North Texas has more or less maintained their status as one of the conference’s top teams. They lead all CUSA squads with 16 wins — no other school has more than 13. The rematch with Rice scheduled for broadcast on ESPN+. Radio is available via the Stretch Internet Portal.

North Texas 16-2 (4-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • L, 76-74 @ UTSA
  • W, 58-51 @ UTEP
  • W, 65-62 vs Southern Miss
  • W, 63-59 vs Louisiana Tech
  • W, 103-87 @ Rice

Rice 7-11 (2-3), Last 5 – (2-3)

  • L, 65-64 @ UTEP
  • L, 95-79 @ UTSA
  • W, 78-66 vs Louisiana Tech
  • W, 73-65 vs Southern Miss
  • L, 103-87 vs North Texas

North Texas players to watch

North Texas has been one of the most balanced teams in the conference this season. They spread the ball around on offense and own the third-best field goal percentage against (40.2 percent) in the conference. What makes the Mean Green so challenging is their lack of one definitive scoring threat. Zachary Simmons, Roosevelt Smart and Ryan Woolridge all topped 20 points in their first matchup with Rice. It’s going to take a collective, disciplined defensive effort on Saturday to limit the many scoring options.

Rice keys to victory

Chris Mullins is riding a 12-game streak with 10 or more points, but the freshman guard has been caught in a modest shooting slump over the past several weeks. He’s connected on fewer than 36 percent of his shots in three of the past four games and is shooting 15.4 percent on three-pointers in conference play.

If guys like Robert Martin and Jack Williams are providing a solid baseline, Mullins has the talent to take over a game and win it for the Owls. His potential is still awaiting a big spark. Getting that spark against North Texas could result in the Owls’ biggest road win of the season.

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Rice Football vs Prairie View A&M: 3 things to know

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Rice football opens their 2018 season against the Panthers of Prairie View A&M. Here are a few things to know before the game.

The 2018 season is finally here and the first objective for the new-look Owls is matching last season’s win total out of the gate. Rice holds a perfect 1-0 record all-time against PVAMU, defeating the Panthers 65-44 at Rice Stadium in 2016. Here are three important things to know about the Panthers before the game.

1. Not just another FCS squad

FCS teams typically represent a step down from their FBS counterparts. While it’s true the talent gap tends to be fairly wide, Rice would be well to respect their opponent – and in more than just a coach-speak fashion.

Prairie View is second in the SWAC in wins since 2007. That includes seven winning seasons including three-straight above .500 campaigns entering 2018. Their offense has been prolific. This year four different Panthers were named to the All-SWAC first or second team: running back Dawonya Tucker, offensive lineman Roderick Smith, wide receiver Markcus Hardy and tight end Zarrian Holcombe.

Yes, Rice has the edge in talent. But too many first-game jitters will give the Panthers a chance. FCS or not, this is not a team the Owls want to let hang around.

2. Make an educated guess

Like Rice, Prairie View A&M will also field a first-year head coach. Eric Dooley brings an impressive resume to his new post, most recently serving as the offensive coordinator at Grambling State. His time with Tigers was fruitful. Grambling ranked as high as fourth in the nation in scoring during his tenure, topping out at a jaw-dropping 65 touchdowns and averaging 470 yards per game in 2015.

But that was Grambling State, not Prairie View. It’s reasonable to assume that the Panthers will incorporate much of the same principles that made Dooley’s offenses so successful at Grambling, but the Owls don’t have any live-action evidence to back up that assumption. To some extent, Rice is flying blind. Thankfully, so is Prairie View.

3. Not-so-new Jalen Morton

Morton played sparingly at quarterback last season, attempting 17 passes. He was pushed out to wide receiver (three catches, 21 yards), thanks to the emergence of Neiko Hollins, who claimed the starting quarterback role midway through last season and did not let go. With Hollins out of the picture after transferring this summer, the door is open once again for Morton to take the reigns.

It was Morton who started for Panthers in their 2016 meeting with the Owls, the only other game between these two schools. He threw for 278 yards on 18-of-29 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also picked up 47 yards on the ground, including a 39-yard touchdown run.

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