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Rice Basketball: North Texas defense stifles Owls in home-away series

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Rice basketball dropped both games of the home-and-away series against North Texas, succumbing to the tenacious Mean Green defense.

Rice basketball seems to always find a way to play things close against North Texas. The Owls’ kicked off a strong start to the backend of Conference USA action with an upset win over the Mean Green last season. Each of the 2021 meetings delivered its fair share of thrill.

The Owls looked composed and ready from the start, even without Chris Mullins or Ege Havsa available for the series. The reinsertion of Travis Evee to the lineup and the steadying presence of Max Fiedler enabled Rice to take a 37-36 lead into halftime of the first game.

Both teams would trade baskets, setting up a critical stretch in the final minutes. Quincy Olivari made three free throws to make it a one-point game in favor of North Texas. Then the Mean Green buckled down and made key shots down the stretch while Rice came up just short. Rice tried to extend the game with fouls, but Javion Hamlet was almost automatic from the stripe, helping boost him to a career-best 30-point performance.

Fiedler paced Rice out of the gates in the second game with a 4-for-4 start from the field, but the North Texas defense was suffocating. Rice attempted just six three point attempts in the first half, making one, as they fell behind 34-23. Rice would shoot 3-for-17 from three and fall 79-53.

Player Spotlight | Travis Evee

Evee wasn’t available when Rice played at UAB in the previous series and his absence was felt. The Rice shooting attack is best when the Owls have options on the outside and don’t have to rely on any one man to shoot lights out on any given night. That said, Evee has shown a propensity to be the guy that gets hot and stays hot.

Evee scored 21 points in the Friday opener and nine in the Sunday finale. He led the team in three point shots made (four) and threes attempted (10). He also added a perfect 6-for-6 line from the charity stripe. He was consistent and effective, despite playing 70 of 80 possible minutes.

Stat Corner | All about the boards

Rice basketball is 7-2 this season when they outrebound their opponents. When the Owls lose the rebounding battle, they’re 3-6. It’s somewhat of a conventional basketball truism, but it rings especially true for the Owls, who typically employ a large volume of shots from deep. The effectiveness of the three point shot is amplified by the additional opportunities on the offensive glass and by turning opponents away on the other side of the court.

Rice had five offensive rebounds on Friday and was outrebounded 31-26 overall. They lost the rebound battle on Sunday as well, 34-27. Not getting those extra opportunities, combined with the unwavering North Texas defense would prove too much to overcome.

Up Next

Next weekend should trend back toward normal when the Owls trade a Friday/Sunday multi-city series for a Friday/Saturday pair of matches. Assuming no interruptions, Rice will play two home games against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles have lost four consecutive games and are last in the West standings with a 3-7 conference record. Look for a mid-conference update on the Owls for our Patreon subscribers on Monday.

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Rice Basketball: Shorthanded Owls drop pair vs UAB

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Rice basketball had to reach deep into the bench for a two-game set against UAB but walked away with their first winless weekend of the season.

Rice basketball started the season remarkably well, 10-5 after their first 15 games. Tied for the most wins in the West entering the weekend, the Owls had a chance to seize outright control of first place in the West with a strong showing against division-leading UAB this weekend. Rice trade blows with the UAB in both games, but it was the Blazers who threw the last punch in both contests.

It was an up-and-down weekend for the Owls from start to finish. Both teams seesawed back in forth in both games. Rice made the first shot in the opener before UAB went on an 11-0 run. The Owls immediately responded with a 17-6 run of their own.

Trailing by nine at the break, the rallies continued. Rice went on a 12-0 run. Minutes later, UAB punched back with their own 12-0. That rally proved to be the decider, giving the Blazers enough breathing room to earn the game one win.

The second game was more of the same. Rice fell behind 18-7 early on. Less than five minutes later, they led 21-20. Then it was a 31-30 Rice advantage the collapsed into a 50-39 UAB lead at the halftime buzzer only for Rice to explode out of halftime on a 13-3 run. Once more, UAB had an answer, pulling away once again and holding on for the duration.

Quincy Olivari led the team in scoring in both games, dropping 17 points on Friday and another 21 points on Saturday. No other players tallied double-digit points in both games, but Max Fiedler corralled 19 total rebounds over the course of the weekend.

Player Spotlight | Mylyjael Poteat

A freshman from North Carolina, the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Poteat had played in three of the Owls’ first 15 games before the series against UAB where he appeared in both contests. He played in 15 minutes on Friday and 14 minutes on Saturday, both higher than his 10 total minutes played across his first three collegiate games.

Poteat scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He had two blocks and saw a fair amount of success on the inside, giving Rice a physical presence at the rim. He was ready when his number was called, and the Owls needed every minute he provided.

Stat Corner | Three players tripled their average minutes Saturday

Travis Evee wasn’t available this weekend, forcing the Owls to turn to their bench for more minutes than they typically would. Chris Mullins was nicked up on Friday and did not play in Saturday’s game. Ege Havsa did not play Saturday either. That left Rice with a lot of minutes to fill on Saturday.

  • Jake Lieppert entered the weekend averaging 8.0 minutes per game (eight games). He played 30 minutes on Saturday
  • Cameron Sheffield’s playing time went from 8.9 minutes to 35 minutes
  • Mylyjael Poteat’s playing time went from 3.3 minutes to 14 minutes

Payton Moore was two minutes shy of double his per game average, playing 21 minutes compared to his typical 11.5 minutes.

To rely on so many reserves and still put up a puncher’s chance is an encouraging sign. Had Rice had its full complement of players, they probably would have split this series — and they almost managed to get there anyway.

Up Next

The Owls’ upcoming series is somewhat of an oddity this season. Rather than a Friday/Saturday back-to-back at the same local, Rice will play North Texas on Thursday in Houston and Saturday in Denton. It’s the only scheduled series to take place in two different venues this season. North Texas did not play this past weekend. Their scheduled series against Old Dominion was postponed.

📸 @LysakerPhotos
January 15, 2021 : during the game between the ODU Monarchs and the Rice Owls at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, Texas. Rice wins 69-59 (Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics). Used with permission.
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Rice Women’s Basketball 2021: ODU makes Owls work for series sweep

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Rice women’s basketball was pushed to the wire twice, but prevailed each time, earning an important road series sweep over Old Dominion.

Despite entering the weekend undefeated in conference play, Rice women’s basketball was weary of what waited for them inside the confines of Chartway Arena. The Old Dominion Monarchs broke the Owls’ 30-game conference winning streak on that very court a season ago. Both programs had experienced turnover since, but there were no illusions amongst either side: this was going to be a battle.

Old Dominion came out ready on Friday night, taking advantage of some early miscues from Rice and adding some second-chance points of their own. A 20-17 first quarter lead would not last long, though. Rice rallied quickly, exploding for 26 points in the second quarter to take an eight-point lead into halftime. Nancy Mulkey’s near-perfect sowing from the field proved to be more than enough to power the Owls to a game one victory.

Rice came out more composed in game two, earning an early lead and extending it to a 38-28 lead at halftime. This time it was Katelyn Crosthwait with three big three point makes to give the Owls some breathing room. But Old Dominion would not go quietly. The Monarchs retook the lead with their first bucket of the fourth quarter.

Then it was the Owls’ turn for a statement. Mulkey and Lauren Schwartz powered a late run, capped off by a Jasmine Smith three point shot to put Rice comfortably ahead in the final minutes. Old Dominion would try to extend the game, but Rice hit their free throws and finished off the road sweep.

Player Spotlight | Nancy Mulkey

A short bench meant the Owls would have to ask a lot from their star center. Mulkey came through in a big way, delivering 21 points and eight rebounds on Friday with an encore of  25 points and five rebounds on Saturday. She was essential on both sides of the court, prevent the Monarchs from ever getting into a rhythm for two long and making what felt like every shot she took.

Mulkey began the Friday game 8-for-8 from the field before finishing 10-of-13. She was 10-of-16 from the field on Saturday, averaging 76.9 percent from the floor in the series. If she’s shooting at that clip, it’s opens up the offense. And when Rice can score, their defense will do the rest. That was the formula against Old Dominion and it’s probably not the last we see of it this spring.

Stat Corner | The few, the proud, the undefeated

NCAA scholarship restrictions put the cap at 15 players available per team each season. Eight players saw action for the Owls on Friday night. Only seven played on Saturday. That’s a far cry from the 10 players that suited up and got on the court for Rice in their season opener against Houston Baptist.

Injuries played a part in what became a rather lean contingent against Old Dominion. Nevertheless, the Owls persevered. Even when tasked with playing two games in less than 24 hours, they found a way to dig deep and finish in the fourth quarter.

For the first time this season, Rice was outscored in the third quarter in both games of a conference series. On both occasions this weekend, Rice answered by outscoring Old Dominion in the fourth quarter and held on for two important road victories.

Up Next

Rice returns home next weekend to face UAB. The Blazers are in the middle of the pack in the West with a series win over Southern Miss and a series loss to North Texas. This past weekend they were swept by Charlotte.

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Rice Basketball 2021: Owls battle back for split with UTEP

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Rice basketball split a hard-fought two-game set with UTEP, earning their most impressive road win of the season in the process.

It was a wild weekend in the desert for Rice basketball. The Owls were welcomed to El Paso by a garage of three-pointers in their opening game of the two-game set. UTEP hit five triples in the first five minutes of game one, screaming out to a 21-9 lead.

The Owls showed poise and maturity with their response. They battled back to take the lead, erasing a 12-point deficit in a matter of minutes with only one three-pointer to hastened the rally. The dogfight would continue into the second half before another Miners’ surge put things away.

UTEP came out hot again on Saturday, but this time the Rice comeback found staying power. Monster days from Travis Evee (21 points with five three-pointers) and Max Fiedler (19 points and 13 rebounds) propelled the Owls to victory.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball sweeps UTEP at home

Head coach Scott Pera was noticeably amped in the aftermath on Saturday. “That is a terrific basketball team that we just beat on their home floor,” he said, taking responsibility for gameplan decisions on Friday and lauding his team for responding well in the rematch.

The win gives Rice a split on the road, something head coach Scott Pera mentioned his team was aiming to achieve any time they left the confines of Tudor Fieldhouse this season. It was a physical, hard-fought victory, and one that Pera called a “statement” for the steadily rising Owls.

Player Spotlight | Max Fiedler

Fiedler began the season with three straight double-doubles, a strong start for the second year player. That would prove to be just the beginning for Fiedler who has been red hot from the field in the past five outings. Starting with a Dec. 21 game against New Orleans, here are Fiedler’s last five lines:

  • New Orleans: 2-for-2, 7 points, 12 rebonds
  • UTSA: 5-for-6, 12 points, 11 rebounds
  • UTSA: 8-for-8, 18 points, 4 rebounds
  • UTEP: 10-for-11, 22 points, 5 rebounds
  • UTEP: 9-for-15, 19 points, 13 rebounds

Altogether, that’s 34-for-42 from the field (81 percent) and an average of 15.6 points and nine rebounds per game. Rice lacked an interior presence this commanding last season. Not only have Fiedler filled that void, he’s turned into an impact player for the Owls on both sides of the court.

Stat Corner | Dependable from deep

Rice basketball shoots a lot of threes, that’s nothing new, but their accuracy from downtown has been noticeably better. Rice made 30 percent or fewer of its three point shots in 13 of 32 games last season, a rate of 41 percent. The Owls have turned that statistic upside down this year, failing to reach a 30 percent success rate from three just once in 12 games.

The Owls made 11 of 25 threes on Friday (44 percent) and eight of 17 threes on Saturday (47 percent). If you’re going to live by the three, you’d best be good at it. And Rice is one of the best teams in Conference USA from three.

Up Next

Rice returns home next weekend to face Conference USA East-leading Old Dominion. The Monarchs, like the Owls, are the only three-win team in their division. ODU split with FIU in their opening series before sweeping Florida Atlantic this past weekend.

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Rice Women’s Basketball 2021: Owls out-tough UTEP, move to 4-0

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Rice women’s basketball stayed perfect in conference play, sweeping their second weekend series with two hard-fought wins over UTEP.

It’s been hard for visiting teams to win at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Rice women’s basketball hasn’t dropped a conference game at home in nearly three years. The Owls have been tested, just as they were this past weekend, but they’ve always found a way to come out on top.

Rice opened their first couplet of home conference games on Friday, outlasting surges from the Miners with strong defense and opportunistic shooting. Lauren Schwartz led the team with 16 points including three triples. Nancy Mulkey contributed five rebounds and 15 points. Nine different players scored.

More: Rice Basketball earns hard-fought split with UTEP in the desert

Saturday was another tightly contested contest. Stingy defense on both sides led to just 39 combined points in the first half. Had it not been for the clock expiring on a last-second three, Rice could have found themselves trailing at the break for the first time this season. Instead, the Owls took a narrow two-point lead into halftime.

Their trademark lockdown third quarter was once more a difference maker. Rice outscored UTEP 15-7, stretching the lead to 10 points. That gave the Owls plenty of breathing room to secure a 4-0 start in conference play. UTEP was held to 43 points on 27.1% shooting.

After giving up 68 points on Friday, the defense responded with tenacity. “I still think we can continue to get better [in rebounding],” head coach Tina Langley said after the series, “but I like our toughness and our ability to stick to a philosophy that I feel works really well for our team.”

Player Spotlight | Sydne Wiggins

Wiggins has been one of the most reliable and versatile players on the court for the Owls over the past three seasons. The senior guard scores, rebounds and finds outlets for her teammates. Her aggressiveness against the UTEP zone gave Rice crucial opportunities when the offense was slow out of the gate. On defense, she stuck to her opponents like glue.

On Friday, Wiggins set up her teammates for success, tallying five assists to her seven points and seven rebounds. Saturday it was her turn, leading the team with 15 points. The ability to do both well, to facilitate and to score, makes her an invaluable asset to the team and someone Langley called “a very dangerous player” for the Owls on the court.

Stat Corner | Gallegos ghosts

The Rice defense was superb once again this weekend, but their work on UTEP’s star guard was particularly impressive. Katia Gallegos came into the weekend averaging 17.4 points per game. She led UTEP in scoring, assists, steals and was second in rebounds. She’d been held under 10 points once in her first seven games, scoring 20+ three times.

Rice held Gallegos to nine points on 3-for-15 from the field on Friday. Then they followed it up by limiting her to nine points on 4-of-9 shooting in the first three quarters on Saturday. She scored eight points in the fourth quarter, but that came after the Owls had secured a double-digit lead. Too little, too late.

For the weekend she shot 31.0 percent from the field compared to her typical 46.3 percent, roughly 50 percent worse than her average outing.

Up Next

Rice hits the road next weekend for what could be their toughest test yet in conference play. They’ll play a Friday/Saturday set against Old Dominion, who along with the Owls, were one of three teams to receive first place votes in the Conference USA preseason polls. The Monarchs swept Florida Atlantic on the road this weekend after dropping both games of their opening series at home to FIU.

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