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Rice Basketball: UAB Blazers outlast Owls in C-USA quarterfinals

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Rice basketball saw their season come to an end with a quarterfinals loss to UAB in the Conference USA Tournament.

Perhaps more so than any other season Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera can remember, this past season was filled with highs and lows. Whether by injury, COVID-19 precautions or both, the Owls were very rarely at full strength.

Chris Mullins was out for a stretch during the middle of the season. Travis Evee missed time. Max Fiedler suffered a broken nose that slowed him for a stretch. Mylyjael Poteat wasn’t available this week and Cam Sheffield had to leave Thursday’s game with an injury.  But they persevered.

It was hard not to think about how far they’d come when they upset Marshall to advance to the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Pera remembered.

“We lost 71 percent of our scoring from last year, our top five scores,” he recalled, before making a striking claim, “And we’re better.”

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

Pera didn’t mean that as a slight to those who have since moved on. But it’s hard to argue with the results. Wednesday’s upset of Marshall marked the first time was a moment Pera says he’ll cherish for a long time. But it wasn’t the only proof of growth, and that includes a season-ending quarterfinals loss to UAB on Thursday night. The loss stung because Rice had the lead with eight minutes to play. Then it disappeared.

Max Fiedler had a team-high 18 points. Quincy Olivari had 16. Rice shot 50 percent from three and 46 percent from the field. For all the good, Rice couldn’t overcome UAB’s dominant performance on the glass. The Blazers hauled in 16 offensive boards. Rice had one. In Pera’s own words, “That’s not a good stat.”

When push came to shove, UAB had more left in the tank. “Down the stretch their veterans made plays. We kind of fell flat and ran out of gas,” Pera said, noticeably choked up from his postgame conversations with the team.

Coming up short against one of the better teams in the conference won’t be how this team is remembered. There’s plenty of time to reminisce on that front. For now, Pera and his team can exhale and regroup. The loss stings, but the Owls truly believe their time is only just beginning.

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Fiedler, Olivari push Rice Basketball past Marshall in C-USA Tourney upset

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For the first time in 14 years, Rice basketball has won multiple conference tournament games. On Wednesday, the Owls upset Marshall.

Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera cracked a smile and said all the right things following his first Conference USA Tournament win on Tuesday over Southern Miss. In the midst of debriefing the win and discussing its significance as a building block for the program, Pera gave a sneak peek of what the Owls had prepared for their encore.

Tasked with upsetting the heavily favored Marshall Thundering Herd, Pera was fairly bold. “I don’t think the Marshall can guard Max [Fiedler] on the block,” he said, catching himself with a measured, “but we’ll see.”

The emphasis on Fiedler was clear from the start. Rice was overtly focused on feeding their big man inside, so much so that tipped passes became turnovers. But the Owls settled down and Fiedler settled in, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Pera chuckled post-game. “Every once in a while I get one right,” he mused.

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

That right call proved pivotal. Fiedler’s impact was felt the most at the onset of the second half. He made three consecutive shots from close range, turning a deadlocked game into a six-point Rice advantage.

“It’s a big difference for us in the last couple of years,” Pera said cheerily. “It’s different when it’s your 6-foot-10 guy who can pass like that too. Because teams can’t double him. We hope teams double him because we know we’re gonna get a wide-open shot.”

After that early burst, Fiedler’s scoring game way those shooters. Quincy Olivari has 23 points. Travis Evee, who only scored nine, contributed a crucial triple that helped extend what became an 11-2 Owls’ run.

Marshall hit their own flurry of threes down the stretch, but Rice hit their free throws to survive and advance. On Thursday they’ll play their third game in three days, something they never were asked to do in the regular season. Their depth will be tested, but Pera maintains they’re a ways from being out of gas.

“There is no thought in my mind besides tomorrow at six o’clock,” Pera said. “We will throw the kitchen sink, do whatever we need to do. We’ll play everybody, whatever we need to do. And if we’re fortunate enough to get by, we’ll figure it out from there.”

Pear held his cards a little closer to the vest this time around. How will the Owls attack the Blazers on Thursday? We’ll find out soon enough. One thing’s for certain, Rice won’t go down without a fight. Olivari said it best when recapping the win: “When everybody’s rolling, it’s hard to guard us.”

Rice basketball is scheduled to play UAB at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.

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Rice Basketball 2021: Owls close strong, advance past Southern Miss

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Rice basketball picked up its first Conference USA Tournament win under head coach Scott Pera, beating Southern Miss in a defensive struggle.

The beginnings of the only game of the preliminary round of the Conference USA Tournament didn’t look like most of the other games Rice basketball has played this season. The Owls made just one three-point attempt in the first half and newly minted C-USA Newcomer of the Year Travis Evee had no points.

Yet Rice still led.

“I know we shoot a lot of three,” head coach Scott Pera remarked following the win, “but we gotta get past that. We gotta defend every night for 40 minutes, because we’re not always going to shoot it great.”

Winning when the shots don’t fall has been a struggle for this team. So to see Rice start uncharacteristically cold, but take a 27-20 edge at the break was noteworthy. Southern Miss shot 32 percent from the field in the first half, with only 10 of their 20 points coming from outside the paint.

The Golden Eagles would adjust and punch back, reclaiming the lead early on in the second half and holding in for more than 10 minutes. But when Ege Havsa hit a crucial three to give Rice the lead with 4:28 to go, the Owls never looked back.

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

Rice would close the game on a 16-3 run. The shots started to fall, but it was the same defense that gave Southern Miss fits early that put the game away. In Pera’s own estimation, the Owls “were locked in defensively from the very first possession to the final buzzer.” And it showed.

Southern Miss did not record a field goal in the final six minutes of regulation, something Pera couldn’t recall happening anytime recently in the hundreds of games he’s coached. When that buzzer did sound, Pera and the Owls surpassed an important milestone. The win marked the first C-USA conference tournament of Pera’s tenure, something he called “another barrier we needed to knock down.”

Rice basketball has the chance to turn this small step into a bigger leap on Wednesday night against Marshall. The Owls and Thundering Herd had been previously scheduled to meet this season, but the games were canceled due to COVID-19 issues among the Owls’ program. Rice will be the underdog, but they won’t be deterred.

“It’s a big challenge for us,” Pera said. “But it’s March. We’re still playing and we’re happy and we’re excited.” And, as if to quell any doubts about the team’s ability to rise up once again, Pera was clear. “We’re going to have our work cut out for us,” he said. “We’re going to prepare. Our kids are going to be ready. And we’re going to go out there and let it fly. I know that.”

Rice basketball is scheduled to play Marshall at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.

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2021 Conference USA Basketball Tournament: Men’s and Women’s Previews

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The 2021 Conference USA Basketball Tournament tips off in Frisco, TX on Monday. Here’s a preview of the action.

Conference USA Basketball – Men’s Tournament

The Favorite: Western Kentucky

The No. 1 seed for a reason, Western Kentucky is the clear favorite to cut down the nets. Charles Bassey will be the best player on the court whenever the Tops play and the supporting cast is equally as impressive and experienced.

The Contender: Louisiana Tech

Although they received less fanfare than Western Kentucky along the way, Louisiana Tech won a divisional title as well. Kenneth Lofton and Isaiah Crawford, both of whom somehow were only named to the All-Conference Third Team and not higher, are a formidable tandom capable of taking down anyone — even WKU.

The Sleeper: North Texas

One of the best defensive teams in the conference, North Texas can win ugly. When they’re in a rhythm and Javion Hamlet is making his shots, they’re a tough out. If anyone’s making out of the “first round”, the Mean Green might have a decent shot.

Conference USA Basketball – Women’s Tournament

The Favorite: Rice

Rice has lost four conference games in their last three seasons. They’ve proven themselves to be mortal, but it’s hard to pick anyone to beat them outright. Led by Nancy Mulkey and a deep bench, the Owls’ defense has led them to three consecutive regular-season conference titles. They enter 2021 as the defending tournament champions after last season’s event was halted after the first round.

The Contender: Middle Tennessee

Despite the run of success from Rice, Middle Tennessee was picked to win the conference in the preseason polls. The two teams never met in the regular season. Could they meet in the Tournament? Led by 26.8 points per game from Anastasia Hayes, the Blue Raiders can run up the score quickly.

The Sleeper: Marshall

Marshall was far from the most consistent team this season, but they earned a unique distinction in the final weeks of the regular season. They won games against Rice and Middle Tennessee, something no other team in Conference USA can claim. Sometimes tournaments are all about getting hot at the right time. If Marshall can beat those two teams, they’ve got the ammo to beat just about anyone else.

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Rice Basketball: Owls ice cold in road sweep by Louisiana Tech

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Rice basketball dropped both games to Louisiana Tech this weekend, ending the regular season with a 6-10 record in Conference USA play.

It was a tough two-game stint for Rice basketball, who were swept by Louisiana Tech on the road this weekend. Rice has lost four in a row after sweeping Southern Miss at home to start the month.

On Friday night, the Owls came out cold. Louisiana Tech was red hot. Rice shot 29.0 percent from the field in the first half and 35.3 percent from the field in the second. Louisiana Tech shot 63.6 percent from the field in the first half, doubling the Owls efficiency — and their scoring.

Down 28 points entering the break, the hole proved too big to overcome. Rice shot marginally better down the stretch, but outside of Cameron Sheffield (17 points on 5-of-8 shooting) nobody had a particularly strong outing.

Louisiana Tech fell somewhat back to earth on Saturday, but Rice was unable to string together the consistency necessary to weather the Bulldogs’ runs. Rice led 21-15 in the first half, but watched that lead dissipate before the halftime buzzer. Not even Riley Abercombie’s strong day from deep (15 points on 5-for-8 from three) was enough to reinvigorate the Rice offense.

Player Spotlight | Max Fiedler

Fiedler’s importance to this team was demonstrated both on and off the court this weekend. Rice had no rhythm with him absent on Friday. On Saturday, Fiedler delivered a double-double, his tenth of the season. He overcame foul trouble and the challenges of playing with a facemask to give the Owls a chance.

Stat Corner | Ice cold

Sometimes it’s not your night. That was abundantly clear on Friday when the Owls seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket. 11 Owls attempted a field goal in the game. Just three — Sheffield, Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee — made more than one shot. Missing Max Fiedler, who left the game after getting hit in the face, compounded the shooting woes.

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But Fiedler was on the court Saturday when the Owls shooting hit another rut. Rice had a lead over Louisiana Tech midway through the first half. Then the Bulldogs went on a 25-6 run over the final eight minutes. It didn’t matter which combination of players Rice had on the court, the shots weren’t falling.

Rice cut the deficit to four points in the second half. Louisiana Tech responded with a 16-2 run.

Even when considering the volume of shots Rice attempts from three, the Owls still average roughly a 45 percent clip from the floor this season. The Owls finished below 35 percent in both games over the weekend. That’s not going to cut it in the conference tournament.

Up Next

Unlike the women’s team, which has two more games left against North Texas, the men are scheduled to be off this coming weekend. Barring a last-minute game added to the slate, the Owls’ next action will come in Frisco at the conference tournament in March.

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