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Oregon narrowly survives Rice Basketball upset bid

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Rice basketball kept Oregon off balance from the start, frustrating the Ducks from the floor before foul trouble and a late shooting slump ended their upset bid.

Oregon scored first, but it was Rice basketball that opened the game on the offensive on Friday night. The Owls knocked down three quick three-pointers before a Nick Anderson jumper put the visiting underdogs in front by seven before the first media timeout.

From there, the Rice defense set the tone, holding Oregon to just 27 percent from the floor in the first half. The aggressive press gave the Ducks fits. Had it not been an early edge in offensive boards — Oregon had 10 in the first half — Rice might have been able to lengthen its early lead. Instead, the Owls had to be content with a five-point advantage heading into the locker room at halftime.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

Oregon’s physicality started to show in earnest after the break. The Ducks got nine straight points from Nate Bittle inside, including four free throws, to erase the deficit and take a one-point lead before Trae Broadnax leveled the game at 38 apiece with a free throw of his own. Stephen Giwa hit a jumper then Oregon went on another big run.

Rice would miss 12 consecutive field goals during that time and 15 of 16 shots over an eight minute period that saw an 8-point Rice lead evaporate and be transformed into a 9-point hole.

The Owls wouldn’t go away, though. Jalen Smith hit a couple of big threes and Trae Broadnax calmly maneuvered the offense, getting the underdogs back within four points at the final media timeout.

Foul trouble would do the Owls in. Broadnax, Giwa and Dallas Hobbs all fouled out while Anderson was limited to 22 minutes. He would hit a last-gasp three before Oregon’s 38th foul shot put the game out of reach for good.

Final Box | Oregon 67, Rice 63

What They’re Saying

We kept scrapping and I’m proud of that. We’ve got something to build on. Our young guys, I think, come away with a good understanding of what it takes to win at this level and we aspire to do that. We’re going to need those young guys. This was a good experience in a lot of ways to create a standard for ourselves. – Rice Basketball coach Rob Lanier

Key takeaway | Can The Owls Score Just Enough?

The defensive performance Rice basketball authored against a physical Oregon team was incredibly impressive. Holding any team to fewer than 70 points when they take 38 free throws is a good start, but this is an Oregon squad that had been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and entered the season receiving votes in the AP Poll, two spots shy of being ranked.

The effort was reminiscent of a comment head coach Rob Lanier made about the NCAA Tournament prior to the season. “If we’re the worst defensive team in the league and we’ve gotta outscore everyone to win the [conference] tournament, [that’s] probably not going to be realistic,” he said. “But if we’re defending and rebounding at a very high level, then we’ll have our chance.”

Lanier wouldn’t call that a dominant performance on the boards — Oregon edged Rice 43-36 — but that caliber of defense was enough to make it a one score game with 5:38 to play. And a four point game in the final 30 seconds. That’s a chance.

How effective that chance becomes will depend on how many points the Owls can contribute to the effort. Through two games, the defense looks quite compelling, indeed.

Up Next: vs Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 11 at 7:00 pm)

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Rice Women’s Basketball drops opener at South Dakota State

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Rice Women’s basketball didn’t get the level of offensive production they were expecting, falling to South Dakota State in their opening game.

A year ago, South Dakota State needed a furious fourth-quarter rally to spoil the Rice women’s basketball season opener at Tudor Fieldhouse, handing the Owls a loss in a game the home team had led for the vast majority of its duration. The opposite of that contest seemed to unfold in the early going in Brookings, South Dakota, on Friday night.

Rice scored the first points, but quickly fell behind. The Owls rallied to tie the game back up at the end of the first quarter thanks to five quick points from transfer Louann Battiston. The Jackrabbits kept their foot on the gas, though, growing their advantage to nine points in the second frame before another late push from the Owls resulted in a 38-34 halftime deficit for Rice.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

A three from Victoria Flores gave Rice a brief edge in the third, but a 9-2 South Dakota State rally put the Owls behind by seven, a deficit that would linger for the remainder of the quarter and stretch into the start of the fourth quarter. That’s when the offense would stall out for good.

Rice went nearly six minutes of court time without a made field goal in the final stretch as the South Dakota State lead grew to 11 and eventually 14. Unlike the last time these two teams met, there was no furious rally from the visiting team to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. Rice fell to South Dakota State for the second consecutive season.

Final Box | SDSU 79, Rice 65

Key takeaway | Offense Comes Out Flat

During her comments before the season, Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds was adamant her team would play fast and shoot threes, an intentional shift from season’s prior. The Owls’ attempted 35 three pointers (and made 15 of them) in their exhibition, one shy of their season-high a year ago, seeming to convey their eagerness to fulfill Edmonds’ vision.

South Dakota State is a much more challenging opponent than Mary Hardin-Baylor, so there needs to be an adjustment made for the quality of opponent Rice faced, but even still, this wasn’t nearly as high-flying of an offensive performance as the explosive exhibition suggested would be more normative.

Rice women’s basketball averaged 20.1 three point attempts per game last season. The team attempted 16 three-pointers through three quarters and 23 in the game on Friday. Even for accounting for a late outburst while trailing, the deep ball wasn’t as frequent or effective as it needed to be for Rice to win this game. After seeing what it can be at its best in the exhibition, this offensive showing was underwhelming. Hopefully better days are ahead.

Up Next: at Houston (Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm)

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The Roost Podcast | No Treats in Rice Football Halloween loss to Memphis

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Rice Football never came close to scary Memphis on Halloween night. We talk through the loss in this week’s episode of the Roost Podcast.

Any thoughts of an upset were quickly laid to rest on Friday night when Rice football fell behind 21-0 in the early goings against a ranked Memphis squad. There were plenty of things that didn’t go according to plan, making a win a long shot at best before halftime arrived. You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 218.

Episode Notes

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Rice Football vs Memphis Game Recap

  • Talent gap in the trenches poses an early problem
  • Offensive inconsistency explains a lot of the crooked score
  • Defense not fully to blame for the points amassed
  • Penalties and sloppy play marred any chance on an upset
  • A potential bowl chance remains in play?

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Rice Basketball Routs College of Biblical Studies in Opener

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Rice basketball never trailed in its season opener against the College of Biblical Studies, dispatching the non-NCAA program with ease on the Owls’ home court.

Year 2 of the Rob Lanier era got off to an encouraging start with a no-doubt rout of the College of Biblical Studies. Jalen Smith scored the first points of the 2025-2026 Rice Basketball season with a three-pointer on the Owls’ first possession, repeating the favor on the ensuing possession. Rice before Andrew Akuchie scored on back-to-back possessions, too. Trae Broadnax followed with a layup to give Rice a prompt double-digit advantage.

The shot making continued to progress at a high level throughout the course of the game as the team rotated in the vast majority of its heathy roster. When combined with a an energetic defense, Rice was able to produce a staggering 29-0 run which turned a 28-14 game into a blowout in the span of less than seven minutes of game time.

NEWS: Rice Launches The Gateway Project, Rice Stadium Renovation

“We have to worry about ourselves,” Rice basketball center Stephen Giwa said. “Doesn’t matter who we’re playing against, that’s what’s going to carry us over. Getting stops, that’s going to lead to easy baskets. So we just gotta focus on that first as a team.”

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Rice had scored a record 65 points in the half and was well on its way to shattering other program bests. Rice would go on to win by a final score of 109-38, the 33rd 100-point game in program history. The 71-point differential represents their second-largest margin of victory in program history, falling just short of the all-time record, a 73-point win in a 97-22 victory over Baylor in 1945.

Final Box | Rice 109, College of Biblical Studies 25

What They’re Saying

Key takeaway | Defense. Defense. Defense.

When he met with the media before the season, Lanier made his expectations and ambitions for this team crystal clear. “It starts with being a great defensive team,” he said. “Without that, any goals that we might set out to achieve, we’re going to fall short.”

Lanier had hinted that the team had taken steps in that direction a season ago, but still had work to do. They didn’t completely close the gap between those desires and their current state on Tuesday night in Tudor, but they did put forth a strong first step.

When asked for what led to the early separation in the game, Lanier credited that defense.

“It was the defense. I thought the bigs, Stephen and Jimmy, they rebounded the ball really well and we got out and ran,” Lanier said. “To be the team we want to be, we’re going to have to defend at a high level and we’re going to have to run and play with some space and we still haven’t quite gotten that yet.”

The College of Biblical Studies scored just 38 points and was held 27 percent shooting from the field. The Owls’ press was harrowing and confusing for the Ambassadors who never came close to finding any sort of offensive rhythm.

Up Next: at Oregon (Nov. 7 at 9:00 pm)

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Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: UAB

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Rice football aims to keep their bowl eligibility hopes alive with a Homecoming game against UAB. How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Four-win Rice football is still mulling the possibility of a postseason berth, but getting their will likely require a win over UAB following a Halloween night loss at the hands of No. 25 Memphis. The Blazers didn’t fair much better in their most recent action, falling to UConn who had lost to Rice the week prior. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and UAB.

Kickoff time | 1:00 PM CT
Venue | Rice Stadium – Houston, TX
TV | ESPN+ (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Sizing up the Contenders

A fifth win would exceed the program’s total a season ago and mark a significant step forward for head coach Scott Abell in his first season, but it would also keep those bowl hopes alive for one more week. That gives Rice football plenty of motivation to avoid another misstep against UAB.

The Blazers are playing under an interim head coach, but still technically have an outside shot at the postseason by virtue of their upset of Memphis prior to the Tigers’ trip to South Main. At a minimum, this is a program eager to put the Trent Dilfer era behind them and move forward.

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Last Time Out

Make sure you check out The Roost Podcast every week this season as we review the Owls’ most recent game, breaking down the key moments, decisions and their impact on the outlook of the program moving forward.

Series History

All Time | UAB leads, 7-5
Last Five | UAB leads, 3-2
Last Meeting | Away 2024, UAB won 40-14

Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Jenkins – 88/127 (69.3 percent), 844 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 126 carries, 677 yards (5.4 yards per carry), 6 TD / Jenkins – 112 carries, 366 yards (3.3 yards per carry) – 4 TD / Alexander – 74 carries, 392 yards (5.3 yards per carry), 3 TD
Receiving | Dickmann – 32 receptions, 305 yards (9.5 yds/rec), 3 TD / Turner – 32 receptions, 214 yards (6.7 yds/rec)
Tackles | Awe – 71 / Morris – 61 / Williams – 51
Pass Breakups | Crump (Suspended) – 6 / Williams – 5 / Porter – 4
Interceptions | Kane, Stevenson, Wyatt – 1

UAB Stat Notables

Passing | Burton – 42/58 (72.4 percent), 467 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT
Rushing | Jackson – 97 carries, 503 yards (5.2 yds/car), 3 TD / Beebe – 34 carries, 249 yards (7.3 yds/car), 5 TD
Receiving | Hooks – 45 receptions, 588 yards (13.1 yds/rec), 5 TD / Hawkins Jr. – 30 receptions, 344 yards (11.5 yds/rec), 2 TD / Milliner – 21 receptions, 294 yards (14.0 yds/rec), 3 TD
Tackles | Hightower – 55 / Small – 39 / Royster – 37
Pass Breakups | Crumpley – 6 / Fisher – 3 / Four tied with two apiece
Interceptions | Royster – 2 / Hightower – 1

UAB X-Factor | Limit the Owls’ Opportunities

Part of what has led to a more feisty UAB squad in recent weeks has been the Blazers seemingly newfound ability to maintain drives. UAB ranks fourth in third down conversion rate on offense in conference games, converting at a 49.1 percent clip. That’s a massive jump from their 39.6 percent conversion rate against non-conference opponents.

Rice has shown they’re good for a few strong offensive drives each game. The likeliest way for UAB to prevent those from happening is not to produce an abnormally potent defensive showing, but rather to keep the Rice offense off the field and dare the Owls to not waste limited opportunities.

Rice X-Factor | Avoid Negative Plays

Consistency on offense will remain the focal point for Rice football until the unit fully hits its stride. There were moments where that seemed to be the case coming out of the bye, but eight offensive drives without a first down against Memphis underscores how much work to be done. To get there, Rice has to eliminate the negative plays.

Rice allowed 11 tackles for a loss against Memphis, two more than nine allowed against UConn (in two overtimes). That drops Rice down to 136th in the nation — dead last — in tackles for loss allowed per game. That’s the opposite of what should be normative for an option offense. Navy is No. 2. Army is No. 17.

The Owls could see their offensive success sky rocket and ensure themselves a better chance to win this game if they can turn those second down runs that lose a yard into ho-hum three yard gains that set up manageable third down opportunities. It’s not a Herculean ask, but it could make all the difference.

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One Final Thing

A repurposed roster and a slew of injuries have contributed to an inconsistent Rice football team this season. This isn’t a group that has reliably bested teams it should, nor has it been a bunch that’s been afraid to out-punch it’s weight class and dare to deliver a marquee upset or two. Two wins as double-digit underdogs already this season is proof to all opponents this isn’t a team to be underestimated.

That won’t be the case this coming weekend, though. Rice and UAB are more closely matched in terms of talent and projected margins. That shouldn’t have any impact on the Owls’ preparation, but it does make this game one the team probably needs to win if they want to keep those dreams of a bowl berth alive.

That Abell brought up a bowl game in his post game comments on Friday was bold. It would have been much easier to sweep those thoughts under the rug, only to mention them if the team had taken care of business and gotten within a game of that crucial sixth win. But Abell didn’t play it safe and spoke confidently about his team.

If this team is going to defy the odds, double their preseason win projections and make a bowl game, beating a flawed UAB team is the best place to start.

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