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Max Fiedler triple-double lifts Rice Basketball past UTSA

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Rice basketball fell behind big, but rallied late with Max Fiedler’s triple-double outing powering the Owls past UTSA on the road.

Following a stretch of games in which Rice basketball had built early leads and tried to hold on, the Owls found themselves in the exact opposite scenario on Monday night at UTSA. The Owls went ice cold from the three-point line while UTSA began the night on a heater. Rice began the night 2-of-12 from long range. UTSA started with makes on 8-of-14 triples. And just like that, an 18-point UTSA lead materialized.

Somehow, Rice thundered back. With 4:02 to play, the Owls trailed by 10. With 1:45 to go, they trailed by six. Finally, with 1.1 on the clock and the Owls nursing a miraculous one-point lead, Rice sent UTSA’s Japhet Medor to the line to shoot two. He made one and overtime commenced.

Cameron Sheffield and Mekhi Mason put Rice in front by five, then Travis Evee and Quincy Olivari followed with a combination of threes and free throws to build a nine-point advantage. They’d win by that margin, capping off one of the more improbable comebacks in the conference this season.

Final Box | Rice 88 – UTSA 79 (OT)

Key takeaway | Triple-Double Max

Max Fiedler has been praised for his ability as a facilitator for years. The veteran big man is one of the best in the game when it comes to getting the ball to his teammates, but cracking the double-digit mark in assists on Monday (11) set up an even more impressive feat. With 13 rebounds and 24 points, Fiedler became the second player in program history to record a triple-double.

The assists came in overtime, part of an incredible performance that sparked the thrilling come-from-behind victory. It’s not uncommon for Fiedler’s contributions on the court to go well beyond what shows up in the box score. Against UTSA, that box score reflected his significance loud and clear.

Up Next: at North Texas – Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m.

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Rice Basketball rallies from 17 down, tops Houston Christian

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Rice basketball started slow, but caught fire late, securing a perfect 3-0 weekend at home with a Monday night win over Houston Christian.

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. At least that’s how the old adage is supposed to go. right? It was indeed a fitting description of how Rice basketball faired against Houston Christian in the final game of the Owl Invitational. Already 2-0 on the weekend, it took the full 40 minutes for the Owls to complete the weekend sweep on Monday Night.

Things couldn’t have started much worse. HCU knocked down four threes in the first five minutes of regulation, jumping out to an 11-point lead with Rice registering just three early points via a three from Quincy Olivari. HCU would lead by as many as 17 points in the first half, entering the break at exactly that margin.

At halftime, Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera told his team to break up the second half into four-minute chunks up to the media timeouts. “I had my grad assistant tell me the score of each four-minute segment,” Pera said. “And I remember the first one clearly being 12 to 2.”

More: Rice Basketball Season Preview

Respond they did. Rice didn’t slow down from the torrid pace with which they started the second half. They also had an 8-0 run a little bit later. Despite HCU knocking down 13 three-pointers and the Owls shooting a mediocre 25 percent from long-range themselves, the Owls battled back.

Finally, with 6:51 left on the clock, Rice basketball took its first lead of the night. Mekhi Mason did the honors, slashing through the lane for a basket and draining the subsequent free throw. Rice would surrender the lead briefly on the following possession but retake it immediately afterward, stretching it to double digits and holding on to remain undefeated at home.

Player Spotlight | Mekhi Mason

Welcome to South Main, Mekhi Mason. The highly-anticipated freshman scored 11 against Georgia Southern on Friday, the previous highwater mark of his young now six-game career. He’d made at least one three in every game to this point and he’d shot fairly well from the floor as a whole, but he hadn’t really had a breakthrough game, not yet.

That changed on Monday. With his team trailing in need of a spark, Mason took over. He led all scorers with 25 points, knocking down 4-of-7 from three with an additional three assists, to boot. He was lights out from the floor, missing just four of his 13 shots.

“He’s a talented, talented you man. I’m really happy for him,” Pera said. “He really picked us up.”

Final Box | Rice 76 – HCU 67

Up Next | Full Schedule

Rice basketball has one final game in the month of November before turning the page to the December slate. They’ll host Prairie View A&M on Wednesday, Nov. 20, giving the team an extended Thanksgiving Break.

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Rice Basketball 2022 Roster Tracker

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The Rice basketball roster will grow and change between the end of the regular season and the start of the next. Stay tuned here for updates.

Roster churn has become a part of college sports as we know and Rice basketball is not immune to the ebb and flow of players coming in and out. With the 2021-2022 season in the books, this page will serve as a running tracker regarding the roster for the upcoming season as it currently stands. The last official roster is available here.

Feel free to bookmark it and refer back to it from time to time as players announce their intentions throughout the offseason.

Departing with Eligibility (4)

  • C Mylyjael Poteat
  • G Chris Mullins
  • F Riley Abercrombie
  • G Noah Hutchins

Departing Seniors/Graduates (2)

  • G Terrance McBride
  • G Carl Pierre

Incoming High School Signees (3)

  • G Mekhi Mason
  • G Mason Jones
  • F Andrew Akuchie

Incoming Transfers (2)

Current Expected Remaining Roster (10)

  • G Jaden Geron
  • G Jake Lieppert
  • G Travis Evee
  • G Quincy Olivari
  • F Cam Sheffield
  • F Ben Moffat
  • G Reed Myers
  • F Max Fiedler
  • F Damion McDowell
  • F Jackson Peakes

Rice Basketball News

Rice Basketball, Rice Basketball recruiting, Eternity Eguagie

Rice Basketball Recruiting: F Eternity Eguagie commits to Owls

Posted: April 23, 2025

A dynamic JUCO hooper is joining the 2025 Rice basketball recruiting class. Forward Eternity Eguagie has committed to the Owls. Since he arrived at South Main, head coach Rob Lanier has made it abundantly clear he’ll look everywhere for talented playmakers to add to his roster. The most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball […]

Rice Basketball, Rice Basketball recruiting, Dallas Hobbs

Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Dallas Hobbs commits to Owls

Posted: April 22, 2025

The Transfer Portal remains kind to Rice basketball recruiting efforts. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to the Owls. A high-scoring point guard with NCAA Tournament experience is heading to South Main as the most recent addition to the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class. Mount St. Mary’s guard Dallas Hobbs has committed to […]

Rice Basketball, Rice Basketball recruiting, Nick Anderson

Rice Basketball Recruiting: G Nick Anderson commits to Owls

Posted: April 19, 2025

Another Transfer Portal addition to the Rice basketball recruiting class has been announced. Prairie View A&M guard Nick Anderson committed to the Owls. Days after the Transfer Portal has opened the 2025 Rice Basketball recruiting class has grown by two. Following the commitment of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa on Thursday, the Owls have […]

Rice Basketball

Rice Basketball 2025 Roster Tracker

Posted: April 17, 2025

The Rice basketball roster is going through its usual offseason permutations. Stay tuned here for updates as the Transfer Portal turns. Roster churn has become a part of college sports as we know and Rice basketball is not immune to the ebb and flow of players coming in and out. With the 2024-2025 season in […]

Rice Basketball, Rice Basketball recruiting, Stephen Giwa

Rice Basketball Recruiting: C Stephen Giwa commits to Owls

Posted: April 17, 2025

The first Transfer Portal addition of the incoming Rice basketball recruiting class is on board. Texas A&M Corpus Christi center Stephen Giwa has committed to the Owls. Transfer Portal season is upon us, which means new faces for the incoming Rice basketball recruiting class. A few players have already announced their intentions to leave South […]

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Rice Basketball Recruiting: Guard Mekhi Mason commits to Owls

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Rice basketball recruiting is finding success off the court while the Owls win on it. Guard Mekhi Mason has committed to the Owls.

It’s been a great couple of weeks for Rice basketball. The Owls started off their 2020-2021 season with a 9-3 record, including an impressive 3-1 start in conference play. They entered the weekend tied for the most wins in the conference.

But the positive moment wasn’t limited to the court. Rice basketball recruiting was gaining momentum, too. As the Owls excelled on the hardwood they also bolstered their future with the commitment of 6-foot-5 guard Mekhi Mason from AZ Compass Prep School in Arizona. Mason also had offers from Grand Canyon and North Carolina A&T.

Mason is the second commitment in the 2022 class. Andrew King, a 6-foot-3 guard also from the state of Arizona, pledged his services to Rice last fall. Like King, Mason is a high school junior. Returning to the high school ranks is refreshing for the Owls following an unusual offseason flush with transfers and graduation.

The addition of Mason should give Rice some more length at the guard spot, filling a gap left by some of the departing players. Mason uses that length well, elevating over defenders when he pulls up to shoot while still maintaining an ability to get to the basket quickly.  He’ll fit well in the scheme head coach Scott Pera likes to utilize, making him a great pick up for the 2022 class.

It’s hard to make too many definitive assessments of what rosters will look like next season in the age of the Transfer Portal and in the midst of COVID-19. For the time being, though, the Owls look to be setting themselves up well.

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