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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs Old Dominion

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Rice basketball is off to a strong start. The men split with UTEP last weekend and the women swept. Next they’ll both face off with Old Dominion.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 15 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 16 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+

Old Dominion 7-3 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 77-57 (W) vs Virginia Wesleyan
  • 67-82 (L) at FIU
  • 71-66 (W) at FIU
  • 71-67 (W) vs Florida Atlantic
  • 64-55 (W) vs Flordia Atlantic

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Malik Curry – 15.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Kalu Ezikpe – 6.8 per game
  • Assists | Malik Curry – 4.4 per game
  • Steals | Malik Curry – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Kalu Ezikpe – 1.4 per game

Rice 9-3 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans
  • 95-86 (W) vs UTSA
  • 84-69 (W) vs UTSA
  • 89-101 (L) at UTEP
  • 71-68 (L) at UTEP

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 16.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 9.4 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.4 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

Old Dominion goes the way of Malik Curry. When he’s on his game, the Monarchs are tough to beat, in part because it’s always a different part of the supporting cast that steps up to his aid.

Last Friday against Florida Atlantic it was Austin Trice with a big day off the bench. On Saturday, AJ Oliver led the way for the team in scoring. Stopping Curry is the primary objective, but staying cognization of who else can beat you is equally important.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m. CT and Jan. 16 at 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 15 – CUSAtv / Jan. 16 – ESPN+

Old Dominion 5-3 (2-2), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 73-39 (W) vs South Carolina Upstate
  • 85-92 (L) vs FIU
  • 80-81 (L) vs FIU
  • 71-56 (W) at Florida Atlantic
  • 77-72 (W) at Florida Atlantic

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Victoria Morris – 17.3 per game
  • Rebounds | Ajah Wayne – 10.3 per game
  • Assists | Mariah Adams – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Amari Young – 2.3 per game
  • Blocks | Amari Young – 0.9 per game

Rice 8-1 (4-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M
  • 78-53 (W) at UTSA
  • 69-57 (W) at UTSA
  • 74-68 (W) vs UTEP
  • 55-43 (W) vs UTEP

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 14.7 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 8.1 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.3 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 3.2 per game

Rice keys to victory

It seems like every time these two programs meet on the hardwood a defensive struggle ensues. Neither squad is going to shoot the lights out, but they typically don’t have to against the bulk of their competition.

When they face off with each other, though, someone is going to have to make that last push. For Rice, winning the third quarter will be even more important. The Owls pride themselves on halftime adjustments and execute incredibly well after the break. If they can take a lead into the fourth quarter, no matter how slight, they’ll be positioned well for a big conference win.

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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 Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTEP

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Rice basketball stayed perfect in Conference USA play last weekend. Both the men and the women look to build on 2-0 starts against UTEP.

Rice Basketball

Time: Jan. 8 at 8:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 9 at 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Don Haskins Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 8 – CUSAtv | Jan. 9 – ESPN+

UTEP 5-3 (1-1), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 61-69 (L) at Arizona
  • 76-63 (W) at Arizona State
  • 79-59 (W) vs Benedectine
  • 66-74 OT (L) at Southern Miss
  • 77-62 (W) at Southern Miss

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Souley Boum – 19.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Bryson Williams – 8.1 per game
  • Assists | Jamal Bieniemy – 5.6 per game
  • Steals | Souley Boum – 1.9 per game
  • Blocks | Tydus Verhoeven – 0.8 per game

Rice 8-2 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans
  • 95-86 (W) vs UTSA
  • 84-69 (W) vs UTSA

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 9.5 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 4.0 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.4 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTEP’s win over Arizona State is one of the best wins from a Conference USA program this season, but the Miners did not impress this past weekend against Southern Miss. The talent looks to be there for this squad, but the consistency is not. Which UTEP team will Rice face this weekend? That could make a significant difference in the result.

For Rice, they’ll have to do a better job defending Souley Boum. In three games against the Owls last year Boum scored 27, 16 and 25 points respectively. If he has a big game, Rice is going to have to match him, at the very least.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 8 at 1:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 9 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 8 – CUSAtv / Jan. 9 – Not televised

UTEP 5-2 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 81-73 OT (W) at New Mexico State
  • 65-68 (L) at Utah State
  • 75-83 (L) at Northern Arizona
  • 83-65 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 74-72 (W) vs Southern Miss

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Katia Gallegos – 17.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Michelle Pruitt – 5.7 per game
  • Assists | Katia Gallegos – 5.0 per game
  • Steals | Katia Gallegos – 2.3 per game
  • Blocks | DejaNae Roebuck – 0.7 per game

Rice 6-1 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M
  • 78-53 (W) at UTSA
  • 69-57 (W) at UTSA

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 15.7 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 6.4 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.7 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.4 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTEP isn’t one of the big powers in women’s C-USA hoops, but they’re not going to roll over either. Led by preseason All C-USA guard Katia Gallegos, UTEP is going to look to shoot at a sturdy clip against a solid Rice defensive unit.

Ultimately, it could come down to Nancy Mulkey and company’s ability to keep Gallegos contained. If she’s not able to produce, it’s going to be hard for the Miners’ secondary and tertiary options to make these games competitive.

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Rice Basketball: 2020-2021 Midseason State of the Program

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Rice basketball started 2021 on the right foot with back-to-back wins. Where do the Owls stand as they enter the heart of Conference USA play?

There was no doubt the 2020-2021 season was going to be unique for Rice basketball. The non-conference slate was truncated and comprised entirely of teams who were either willing to come to South Main or a short bus ride away from campus. That included lower-level schools like Our Lady of the Lake and LeTourneau.

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The Owls were expected to take care of business in the nonconference slate. For the most part, they did. Rice entered Conference USA action in January 6-2, their best record (by winning percentage) prior to conference play in head coach Scott Pera’s tenure. Then they started conference play a perfect 2-0 for the first time in 14 years.

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Rice Basketball 2021: Owls rain down threes in two-game sweep of UTSA

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Rice basketball opened up Conference USA play with back-to-back wins at home against UTSA, their first 2-0 C-USA start since 2007.

It was a wonderful weekend for Rice basketball. The Owls’ cruised to a perfect 2-0 start in conference play, their best start in C-USA action in 14 years. Rice improved to 8-2 on the season with the two wins, their best mark in the opening 10 games under head coach Scott Pera, who picked up his 300th career win on Friday.

The Friday opener was a nailbiter, which ended in exhilarating fashion. Rice trailed 48-42 at halftime and 84-82 in the final five minutes. Both times, the home team rallied. Guard Travis Evee’s eight three-pointers made the difference, propelling the Owls to their first conference win of the season.

They returned to the court for an encore performance on Saturday. This time Rice was in command from start to finish. The Owls lead ballooned to as many as 32 points behind big days from Max Fiedler (8-for-8 field goals for 18 points) and Chris Mullins (20 points, three three-pointers).

“To be up 30 on anybody is really hard in this league,” head coach Scott Pera said in the aftermath. “We just kept churning away.”

That churn and effort were visible from start to finish. Rice has always been a team willing to shoot the three—and they found tremendous success beyond the arc this weekend—but they also proved themselves to be adept when the ball wasn’t in their hands. All in all, it was an impressive weekend for the Owls on the court.

Player Spotlight | Travis Evee

There wasn’t much that didn’t go right for guard Travis Evee this weekend. He shot the ball at a blistering pace, draining 10 of 18 three-pointers and leading the team in scoring on Friday with a career-best 36 points. He was the first Owl to reach that total since Patrick Britton scored 40 against East Carolina in 2008.

Evee’s strong start to conference play is doubly impressive given his status entering the fall. An offseason transfer, Rice had to apply for a waiver to get Evee eligible to play this season. The request was approved on November 18, nine days before the team tipped off in their season opener against Incarnate Word. The impact he’s had on the Owls through 10 games cannot be understated.

Stat Corner | First 2-0 start in conference play since 2006-2007

Rice played their first Conference USA basketball games in the 2005-2006 season. They started 2-0 in league play that season, following it up with a 2-0 start the following season, 2006-2007. They won three straight to start C-USA play, the longest opening winning streak for the Owls since joining Conference USA.

That also marked the last time a Rice team had won two consecutive games to begin its conference slate. The strong start positions the Owls for a small slice of history. Two more wins would make this squad the second team to win three-straight C-USA opening games. The Owls travel to UTEP next weekend.

Up Next

Rice plays their next stint of the league’s newfound doubleheader schedule next Friday/Saturday at UTEP. The Miners are 3-0 at home this season and 5-3 overall. They split their season-opening duet with Southern Miss over the weekend, winning the second of two contests.

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