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Rice Basketball Preview: Owls vs Louisiana Tech

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The Rice basketball has both teams back in action last week, taking on Louisiana Tech as the regular season winds down.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 26 at 6:30 p.m. CT and Feb. 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Thomas Assembly Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Friday – CUSAtv / Saturday – CBS Sports Network

Louisiana Tech 17-6 (10-4), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 65-62 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 68-63 (W) at North Texas
  • 55-57 (L) at North Texas
  • 70-58 (W) vs UAB
  • 69-64 (W) vs UAB

Louisiana Tech statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Isaiah Crawford – 11.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Kenneth Lofton – 7.3 per game
  • Assists | Cobe Williams – 3.1 per game
  • Steals | Cobe Williams – 3.1 per game
  • Blocks | Isaiah Crawford – 0.6 per game

Rice 12-10 (6-8), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 53-79 (L) at North Texas
  • 88-62 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 76-68 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 71-77 (L) at Western Kentucky
  • 66-89 (L) at Western Kentucky

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 15.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 8.8 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 3.9 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.2 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 1.0 per game

What’s at stake

Conference USA made the curious, late-in-the-season decision to expand the conference tournament field this past week. Rather than limit the tournament to the top 12 teams as has been the custom in the past, every team will receive an invite this year.

At 6-8, Rice is in the middle of the pack among the overall conference standings, but only two games out of the bottom spot in the West. They won’t have any worries about missing the tournament now, making the opportunity to climb in the seedings and face a team that might just barely originally snuck in all the more appealing.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 26 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Feb. 27 at 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Friday – CUSAtv / Saturday – CUSAtv

Louisiana Tech 13-7 (8-6), Last 5 (3-2)

  •  44-57 (L) at Southern Miss
  • 60-55 (W) vs North Texas
  • 58-63 (L) vs North Texas
  • 77-51 (W) at UAB
  • 83-61 (W) at UAB

Louisiana Tech statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Keiunna Walker – 16.6 per game
  • Rebounds | Anna Larr Roberson – 6.8 per game
  • Assists | Amber Dixon – 3.3 per game
  • Steals | Raizel Guinto – 1.5 per game
  • Blocks | Anna Larr Roberson – 0.7 per game

Rice 13-2 (9-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 67-59 (W) at Old Dominion
  • 64-55 (W) vs Western Kentucky
  • 77-74 (W) vs Western Kentucky
  • 54-48 (W) at Marshall
  • 56-68 (L) at Marshall

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 16.3 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 7.5 per game
  • Assists | Jasmine Smith – 4.3 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith and Sydne Wiggins – 1.3 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 3.2 per game

Whats’s at stake

Rice women’s basketball faded in the fourth quarter in rather uncharacteristic fashion last time out against Marshall. One loss in 10 tries is stomachable, but the Owls wiggle room was less forgiving. North Texas (8-2) and Middle Tennessee (10-2) sit within percentage points of Rice for the best record in the conference. The pressure is now on Rice to take care of business, otherwise they might lose the top spot in the conference tournament to someone else.

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Rice Women’s Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs Marshall

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The Rice basketball had both teams in action last week, but only the women remain on schedule to play Marshall this weekend.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 20 at 11:00 a.m. CT and Feb. 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Venue: Cam Henderson Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Feb. 20 – CUSAtv / Feb. 21 – CUSAtv

Originally scheduled for Feb. 19 and Feb. 20 (Friday / Saturday), the series was delayed one day. The teams will now play on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21 (Saturday / Sunday).

Marshall 5-7 (4-6), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 60-69 (L) at Western Kentucky
  • 60-75 (L) vs FIU
  • 65-56 (W) vs FIU
  • 70-80 (L) vs Old Dominion
  • 73-68 OT (W) vs Old Dominion

Marshall statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Savannah Wheeler – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Alexis Johnson – 7.3 per game
  • Assists | Ksenija Mitric – 3.0 per game
  • Steals | Kristen Mayo – 2.0 per game
  • Blocks | Mahogany Matthews – 2.5 per game

Rice 12-1 (8-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 55-43 (W) vs UTEP
  • 77-66 (W) at Old Dominion
  • 67-59 (W) at Old Dominion
  • 64-55 (W) vs Western Kentucky
  • 77-74 (W) vs Western Kentucky

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 16.6 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 7.7 per game
  • Assists | Jasmine Smith – 4.3 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith and Sydne Wiggins – 1.4 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 3.4 per game

Whats’s at stake

Rice (8-0) is the only team in Conference USA undefeated in league play, but they don’t have much wiggle room. North Texas (8-2) and Middle Tennessee (10-2) are close and the Owls still have a date with the Mean Green to close the season. Holding serve against Marshall (4-6), even on the road, will be crucial for the Owls.

Men’s Basketball update

The men’s games against Marshall in Houston were first postponed by Winter Storm Uri then canceled because of COVID-19 concerns within the program.

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Rice Athletics: All Friday events postponed, multiple games impacted

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Rice Athletics will not host any events on Friday. Winter Storm Uri has altered schedules for multiple sports. Here is the latest.

The effects of winter storm Uri continue to impact Houston, stretching beyond the personal impacts and into the upcoming Rice Athletics schedule. Rice baseball’s opening weekend round robin including games against Washington, Arkansas-Little Rock and Houston Baptist has seen multiple games called off because of the conditions.

Both Washington or Little Rock announced they would not be able to travel to Houston because of the inclement weather. The Huskies have already added a three game series with UC-Irvine, who Rice played last year. Little Rock is in the process of scheduling additional games this weekend. They won’t be playing in Houston.

For the time being, the Sunday contest between Houston Baptist and Rice is on as scheduled. The two intra-city teams don’t have to worry about coordinating flights, but more conversations will take place before that weekend schedule is finalized.

If both programs are able, it would seem possible for baseball to add additional games with Houston Baptist over the weekend. If and when those games might be played would be dependent on several factors. Per a release from Rice, “an update on the schedule will be provided Friday at 12:00 p.m.”

As for basketball, after originally being bumped back a day, the men’s series against Marshall has been canceled. On top of the weather, the Owls have experienced COVID-19 issues within the program. The women’s series against Marshall is still on for the time being, but the schedules will be adjusted. Originally set for Friday and Saturday, the series has been moved to Saturday and Sunday.

This is a developing situation.

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Rice Basketball: Owls’ cooled off in road sweep by Western Kentucky

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Rice basketball entered the weekend with a two-game winning streak, but Western Kentucky cooled the Owls down quickly with a sweep of their own.

It’s been a hectic few weeks for Rice basketball, which wrapped up a tough weekend on the road on Saturday with a second loss to Western Kentucky. It’s now been more than a month since Rice was able to trot out their five starters on the court at the same time. Dealing with injuries and COVID aren’t a unique challenge faced solely by the Owls, but the churn in the rotation hasn’t done them any favors.

Western Kentucky came out of the blocks red hot on Friday night, quickly pulling out to an 18-8 lead in less than five minutes. Rice stayed composed and battled back, but never got the game back within one score, despite relatively productive shooting nights from Travis Evee, Quincy Olivari and Riley Abercrombie.

The second game felt eerily similar to the first. Rice had their moments and made some big shots. They just always seemed to be a possession or two away from breaking through. A 15 point halftime deficit proved too much to overcome, especially when compounded by sub 40 percent shooting in the second half.

Player Spotlight | Ege Havsa

The turnover on the roster amid injuries and COVID-19 limitations has opened the door for role players to step into more prominent positions. Ege Havsa had his number called this weekend and he responded well. On Friday he played 23 minutes, the most action he’s seen in nearly a month. On Saturday he had career-high seven rebounds and a season-best 12 points.

Turnovers have been Havsa sore spot, but in short spurts, he’s proven to be an effective piece for head coach Scott Pera. Having players like him at the ready when they’re needed in the coming weeks will be huge for the Owls.

Stat Corner | Cooled off

This weekend saw the only two-game conference set in which Rice did not have any individual player score 20 points in a game. Travis Evee (19) Quincy Olivari (18) got close on Friday. No one topped 15 points on Saturday.

Rice basketball has more depth this year than they’ve had in recent memory. Even still, the quantity of shooters still isn’t quite where they’d want it to be. It’s a rare night for someone to do what Havsa did on Saturday and score double-digits off the bench. If the Owls’ starting guards aren’t converting at high enough of a clip, Rice hasn’t shown they can consistently find scoring volume elsewhere.

Up Next

The final scheduled home series of the season looms next weekend for Rice basketball. They’ll return to Tudor Fieldhouse to take on Marshall. The Thundering Herd entered the weekend in the middle of the pack in the East.

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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs Western Kentucky

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The Rice basketball got back in the win column with a sweep over Southern Miss while the women look to return to the court this weekend.

Rice Basketball

Time: Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 p.m. CT and Saturday, Feb. 13 at 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Friday – ESPN+ / Sunday – CUSAtv

Western Kentucky 13-4 (6-2), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 58-63 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 81-73 (W) vs Marshall
  • 69-67 (W) at Marshall
  • 82-67 (W) at Middle Tennessee
  • 68-52 (W) at Middle Tennessee

Western Kentucky statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Charles Bassey – 17.8 per game
  • Rebounds | Charles Bassey – 12.2 per game
  • Assists | Davvion McKnight – 3.2 per game
  • Steals | Josh Anderson – 1.9 per game
  • Blocks | Charles Bassey – 3.4 per game

Rice 12-8 (6-6), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 74-86 (L) at UAB
  • 74-69 (L) vs North Texas
  • 53-79 (L) at North Texas
  • 88-62 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 76-68 (W) vs Southern Miss

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 15.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 9.2 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.2 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.9 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice basketball needs a repeat showing of their most recent pair of outings. Rice shot incredibly well against Southern Miss, made careful, astute halftime adjustments and battled down the stretch to hold the lead. Rice showed they do have that extra gear needed to win close games. Taking that on the road is the next task.

Rice is 5-2 in league play at Tudor Fieldhouse, but four of their final six games are on the road where they are just 1-4 to date. This team has the pieces. They just need to find that level of consistency away from Houston.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 12 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Feb. 13 at 4:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Feb. 12 – ESPN+ / Feb. 13 – ESPN+

Western Kentucky 6-10 (5-5), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 60-77 (L) vs Middle Tennessee
  • 100-99 3OT (W) vs Charlotte
  • 65-54 (W) vs Charlotte
  • 71-64 (W) vs Florida Atlantic
  • 70-75 (L) vs Florida Atlantic

Western Kentucky statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Raneem Elgedawy – 21.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Raneem Elgedawy – 11.4 per game
  • Assists | Hope Sivori – 3.8 per game
  • Steals | Meral Abdelgawad – 2.4 per game
  • Blocks | Raneem Elgedawy – 1.8 per game

Rice 10-1 (6-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 69-57 (W) at UTSA
  • 74-68 (W) vs UTEP
  • 55-43 (W) vs UTEP
  • 77-66 (W) at Old Dominion
  • 67-59 (W) at Old Dominion

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 16.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 7.8 per game
  • Assists | Jasmine Smith – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.5 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 3.1 per game

Whats’s at stake

The Owls haven’t played a conference game in three weeks. During that time other programs have experienced postponements as well, but the run of open weekends for Rice is approaching a critical juncture.

Rice has played six conference games. No other team in Conference USA has played fewer than eight. The vast majority have played 10 games or more. The average, including the Owls’ low-mark, is 9.71 games played per team. If that difference held, Rice would retain claim to the No. 1 Seed in the West and clinch a bye in the Conference USA Tournament.

Healthy and safety is, and should continue to be, the No. 1 priority for Rice athletes. If anything, the extended delay emphasizes the lengths to which the program will go to ensure its players’ health remains the focal point.

But if Rice were to miss another weekend, they could be playing catch up. Much in the same way the football regulations in the fall required a team to play no fewer than two games below the average games played by the conference, a similar ruling will apply to basketball. A team can’t lose a tournament bid by playing too few games, but it can lose a first round bye.

That makes the Owls’ upcoming series against Western Kentucky all the more important. As of now, that series looks to be on as scheduled. When Rice does get back on the hardwood they’ll have waited 27 days since their most recent competition, against Old Dominion on January 16. Keeping everyone healthy and shaking off the rust as quickly as possible will be imperative.

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