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Rice Basketball 2021 Game Previews: Owls vs UTSA

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Rice basketball opens up conference play on New Year’s Day. Both the men and the women will play back-to-back games against UTSA.

Rice Basketball

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

UTSA 4-3 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 66-105 (L) at Oklahoma
  • 91-62 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 61-73 (L) at Oregon State
  • 102-70 (W) vs Our Lady of the Lake
  • 88-66 (W) vs Lamar

Rice 6-2 (0-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 94-74 (W) vs LeTourneau
  • 86-64 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 61-72 (L) vs New Mexico
  • 90-79 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 73-62 (W) vs New Orleans

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Quincy Olivari – 18.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Max Fiedler – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Max Fiedler – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Travis Evee – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Max Fiedler – 0.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jhivvan Jackson – 17.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Jacob Germany – 6.6 per game
  • Assists | Keaton Wallace – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Eric Parrish – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Jacob Germany – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

UTSA can score. In year’s past, that’s meant Rice needs to match in a shot-for-shot slugfest to come out on top. As good as Quincy Olivari has been shooting, getting more production on the defensive side of the court is more likely to pay off than a high-scoring shootout against Jhivvan Jackson and Co.

For the season, Rice ranks 11th in Conference USA in defensive field goal percentage. If Rice can get that number from where it sits entering the weekend (.424) closer to .400, they’ll have a much better chance to beat UTSA. Balanced basketball will be key.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Jan. 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT and Jan. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Convocation Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: Jan. 1 – CUSAtv / Jan. 2 – Not televised

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

  • 80-37 (W) vs Sul Ross State
  • 50-60 (L) vs UT Rio Grande Valley
  • 63-69 (L) at Incarnate Word
  • 73-55 (W) vs Northwestern State
  • 47-71 (L) at Sam Houston State

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

  • 83-54 (W) vs Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) at Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) at Texas Tech
  • 83-51 (W) vs Louisiana
  • 53-57 (L) at No. 10 Texas A&M

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 8.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.4 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 2.0 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.6 per game

UTSA statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Adryana Quezada – 16.0 per game
  • Rebounds | Adryana Quezada – 11.7 per game
  • Assists | Karrington Donald – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Mikayla Woods – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Mikayla Woods – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

To some extent, Rice women’s basketball is still test driving their rotations and setup for 2021. The Owls have looked extremely sharp on both sides of the court, coming a shot away from upending Top 10 Texas A&M.

Rice does an excellent job of adjusting to what the opponent gives them. So far, they haven’t had to find a consistent scoring threat outside of Nancy Mulkey. A few players have crossed the 15-point bar. Jasmine Smith led the team with 18 points against Texas A&M. Having someone else to go to in crunch time could really put this team over the top.

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Rice Athletics: Top 10 Moments from 2020

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2020 was filled with highs and lows on the home from, but Rice Athletics made the best of the tough year. Here are some of the most impactful moments.

10. Men’s Basketball upsets C-USA regular-season champion North Texas

Rice basketball started slow out of the gates in conference play this past March, falling to 1-7 with a home game against 8-1 North Texas entering the final month of the season. Not only did the Owls put up a fight, they knocked off the eventual regular season champs. Rice shot 53.6 percent from three and hit 15 triples, includes three apiece from Drew Peterson, Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and four from Ako Adams.

9. Football signs Top 5 C-USA recruiting class

You can read more about the recent signees in detail in our recruiting updates over on Patreon. In short, the 2021 Rice Football Signing Class edged out the 2020 class for the highest-rated class in program history. The Owls currently hold the No. 4 class in C-USA and a Top 100 class in the country with a few spots remaining before National Signing Day in February.

8. Women’s Track and Field wins C-USA Indoor Championship

For the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2009, the Rice women took home the gold in the C-USA Indoor Championships. Grace Forbes and Michelle Fokam helped spur the Owls victory. Head coach Jim Bevan was recognized afterward as the Coach of the Year.

7.  Swimming top Tulane in duat meet

In their only home meet of the fall, Rice swimming emerged with a win. The Owls were dominant in the pool in the two-day meet, winning 15 of 21 events, including 400-freestyle relay. Rice set a facility record in the event, closing out the meet with a resounding 245-146 final score.

6. Women’s Basketball avenges Old Dominion loss

The Rice women’s basketball team saw a 30-game conference winning streak snapped on the road against Old Dominion. It was only fitting the Owls closed out the regular season with a rematch against the Monarchs. The game marked the final time senior Erica Ogwumike took the court for the Owls, making the victorious sendoff that much sweeter.

5. Grace Forbes wins C-USA Title

The women’s cross country squad only made one appearance this fall, but Grace Forbes made it count. The sophomore left her competition in the dust, crossing the finish line with no foes in sight. Her strong showing propelled the Owls to a fourth place finish in the meet.

4. Erica Ogwumike selected in WNBA Draft

The Ogwumike family name had already become a mainstay in WNBA circles before Erica Ogwumike played her final season at South Main. Her sisters, Nneka and Chiney, were both No. 1 overall selections. Erica went from off draft boards to becoming a third round pick of the New York Liberty, which was then traded to the Minnesota Lynx. Ogwumike said she was just grateful to hear her named called.

3. Women’s Basketball win’s second consecutive regular season title

Not only did Rice get revenge when they beat Old Dominion to close out the regular season this spring, they clinched their second consecutive regular season championship. The Owls were the favorites to cut down the nets in the conference tournament and to make a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament before COVID-19 concerns forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season.

2 Jack Fox named to NFL Pro Bowl

Released by the Chiefs last season, Fox signed a futures contract with the Detroit Lions in the offseason and won the Lions’ starting punting job in camp. From that point on, he took the NFL by storm. Fox led the NFL in most key measures for most of the season before being named to his first Pro Bowl. He’s the 12th Owl to earn a spot on a Pro Bowl roster and the first since fellow specialist Chris Boswell in 2017.

1. Rice Football shuts outs No. 15 Marshall

Rice football hadn’t beaten a ranked opponent in more than two decades when they made the trip to a cold Huntington, WV on Dec. 5 to play a then undefeated No. 15 Marshall squad. Not only did Rice win, they shut out The Herd, forcing five interceptions on their way to the upset win, a marquee victory for Rice. The Owls became the first team in 206 games to shut out Marshall at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

Honorable Mentions…

How about you? Which of these moments from Rice Athletics did you enjoy the most? Which Rice Athletics events should be added to the list?

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Rice Basketball: Early season men’s and women’s roundup

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Thanksgiving marked the beginning of Rice basketball. Here’s a quick check-in on how both teams are doing so far on the court.

Rice Basketball

The 2020-2021 season has gotten of to a great start for Rice basketball. The men’s team replaced more than half of their roster during the offseason and were limited compared to their typical offseason routine. It was going to take some time to work out the kinks.

“Look, we’re all trying to find our way. We’re trying to see who the gamers are,” head coach Scott Pera said following the Owls’ home opener against Houston Baptist. Rice is now 4-0 for the first time since 2011, something that bodes well for the future.

The start is encouraging, but to some extent, it’s more encouraging to see this team come together as quickly as they have. “It’s important to play good basketball,” Pera said, “So yeah, we’re happy to win.”

Results (4-0)

  • 68-53 (W) Incarnate Word
  • 103-64 (W) Our Lady of the Lake
  • 94-74 (W) Le Tourneau
  • 86-54 (W) Houston Baptist

Statistical leaders

What’s next?

Rice basketball get their biggest test of the season next Saturday at the Fertitta center against a ranked Houston team. The Owls traded blows with the Cougars from start to finish last season before Houston got hot down the stretch and won the game.

Beating Houston would put Rice decidedly ahead of their on-the-fly roster shakeup, but even without a win, the Owls can learn a lot about who they are and how far they have to go against Houston next weekend.

Rice Women's Basketball

Rice women’s basketball was only two games into their season when they encountered their first COVID-19 cancelation. The UT-Arlington game was scrapped at the last minute due to a pause with the Mavericks’ program. The Owls deserve credit for their quick response, adding a game with Texas Tech on the fly.

Not only did Rice beat Texas Tech, they won in dominant fashion. Rice hit 12 three-pointers, held Tech to 30.8 percent shooting from the field and never trailed from start to finish. The win marked the first for Rice over a Power 5 program since beating Texas A&M in 2006.

For head coach Tina Langley, getting back on the court is a welcome respite from the hectic offseason. “We’re just so grateful to everybody who’s put in so much work so that we could play,” she said. “It was such a joy to take the port together. And I’m so proud of these young women.”

Results (3-0)

  • 83-54 (W) Houston Baptist
  • 66-54 (W) Little Rock
  • 81-62 (W) Texas Tech

Statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Nancy Mulkey – 13.3 points per game
  • Rebounds | Nancy Mulkey – 10.0 per game
  • Assists | Sydne Wiggins – 4.7 per game
  • Steals | Jasmine Smith – 1.3 per game
  • Blocks | Nancy Mulkey – 2.7 per game

What’s next?

Rice women’s basketball will have two more home games (Dec. 11 against Texas Southern and Dec. 16 against Louisiana) before hitting the road for their most important game of the season. They visit Texas A&M at Reed Arena on Dec. 20.

Their battle with the Aggies came down to the final possession a year ago. Texas A&M lost Chennedy Carter to the WNBA draft while Rice lost Erica Ogwumike. This year’s game is going to look different without either of those guards on the court, but the impact of a Rice win remains just as significant.

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2020-2021 Rice Basketball Season Preview

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The 2020-2021 Rice basketball team is full of new faces. Offseason transfers forced another reboot. Can the Owls adjust quickly and fly on?

For better or worse, Rice basketball was one of the few Conference USA basketball teams that determined their own fate last March before the COVID-19 pandemic swept in and prematurely ended sports midseason. Rice lost in the C-USA Tournament the day before everything was shut down. Since then, it’s been a tough road.

Rice lost Ako Adams and Robert Martin, two valuable pieces, to graduation. Several others transferred. Players like Trey Murphy and Drew Peterson, though to be the future of the program, left amidst the sudden offseason lull. Who steps up and what this next iteration of Rice basketball will look like form the framework of what is sure to be an intriguing season.

The Coach – Scott Pera

Scott Pera has fought through adversity time and time again as the Owls’ head coach. His arrival was met with an exodus of key players. Further transfers continue to challenge his roster and his moral, but he’s adjusted, leaning further into the Transfer Portal himself.

After winning seven games in his first season, he’s improved on that total in each subsequent year, winning 13 games in Year 2 and 15 last season. Eclipsing a .500 record, especially given the circumstances, would be a commendable achievement.

Last Season Snapshot

Following a wake-up call in their season opener, a one-sided loss to Arkansas on the road, Rice strung together a rather impressive non-conference run. The Owls beat UC Santa Barbara, Liberty and East Carolina but couldn’t avoid a few head-scratching losses along the way to Lamar and Sam Houston.

Conference play was less kind. Rice won just one of their first 10 games in C-USA play (home against FIU). They rallied to win six of their final nine to clinch a spot in the conference tournament, where they fell to FIU to end their season.

Key Question

How quickly can this rebuilt roster gel? Graduation and transfers wiped out the majority of the Owls’ core contributors for a year ago. Pera’s new-look team will ask younger players to carry bigger loads and newly added pieces to be integrated quickly. It’s not an impossible task, but so much change in such a short window of time, compounded by the challenges of COVID-19 are going to make it challenging.

The Schedule

Rice Basketball Marquee Games and Key Dates

Nov. 27, 2020 – Season opener at Thanksgiving Invitational vs Incarnate Word
Dec. 3, 2020 – Home opener vs LeTourneau
Dec. 12, 2020 – Owls visit Houston at the Fertitta Center
Jan. 1, 2020 – Conference USA home opener vs UTSA
Jan. 8, 2020 – Conference USA first road game vs UTEP
Mar. 10, 2020 – Conference USA Tournament

You can find the complete 2020-2021 Rice basketball schedule here.

Key Returners

Chris Mullins, Guard (Jr.)

Mullins is the only returning player who started at least a dozen games for Rice last season. After a strong freshman campaign, the scoring dipped a bit last season as his shooting consistency wained and others came to his aid. Last year he averaged 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He’ll be asked to step up further in 2020 and beyond.

Payton Moore, Guard (Jr.)

Moore was a key bench piece last season and was one of only four players to play in all 32 games. He was consistently the Owls’ sixth man, coming in quickly and playing meaningful minutes when the team needed him most. He averages 4.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. His experience as the first man off the bench is valuable and could play into how he’s used this coming season.

Quincy Olivari, Guard (So.)

Olivari saw flashes of action early in the season but really started to develop as the year progressed. He played more than 16 minutes in a game for the first time on Jan. 16 against Louisiana Tech, the Owls 16th game. From that point on, he averaged 17.1 minutes played and 6.1 points per game. His star is just beginning to shine.

Max Fiedler, Forward (So.)

It looked like Fiedler would be a staple in the Owls’ rotation early on last season, but his utilization dipped significantly when the team reached conference play. He appeared in just seven games against C-USA opponents, never playing more than 11 minutes. Even with the limited time on the court, he racked up 13 blocks, second-most on the team.

Malik Ondigo, Forward (Jr.)

Update: Head coach Scott Pera said Ondigo is currently not with the team due to personal reasons.

Ondigo signed with the Owls last summer after spending the prior two seasons at Texas Tech. He appeared in 32 games for the Red Raiders before transferring to Rice. After sitting out last season due to transfer rules, his impact should be significant. Having someone with his size (6-foot-10, 215) and power seems to suggest a more consistent interior presence for Rice on both ends of the court.

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Key Additions

Tre Clark, Guard (Gr.) – Furman transfer. Had career-highs in rebounds (101), assists (38) and steals (32) last season. Appeared in 86 games over the past four seasons. Veteran presence for young team.

Cavit Ege Havsa, Guard (Gr.) – Played at Fordham and Utah Valley State and previously for the U20 Turkish National Team. Should provide an experienced shooting presence from the outside.

Travis Evee, Guard (So.) – Potential difference-maker at point guard who transferred from VMI. He was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year this past season, averaging 12.6 points per game.

Riley Abercrombie, Forward (So.) – Houston native and transfer from Boise State who redshirted before playing last year. Good shooter from distance who should contribute this year.

Jake Lieppert, Guard (So.) – Lights out scorer at Pima Community College where he shot 41.7 percent from three. He was named league Freshman of the Year last season.

More Names to Know

The Owls are excited about their incoming Freshmen Noah Hutchins, Mylyjael Poteat and Cameron Sheffield. We saw a few freshmen earn early playing time a year ago, and with so many new faces, it’s not out of the question that at least one, if not multiple players from his class break through and find roles.

Hutchins and Sheffield are great shooters. Poteat brings plenty of size and range. All three should complement each other well as Rice works to rebuild a young core.

Sophomores Ben Moffat and Reed Myers each played in less than five games a season ago, averaging less than two minutes. They’ll more than likely be locker room guys and depth pieces again this year as well.

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Rice Basketball: Travis Evee, Riley Abercrombie immediately eligible

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Rice basketball received more good news in the days leading up to the 2020-2021 season. Guard Travis Evee has been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

The offseason was a hard one for Rice basketball. Seniors said their goodbyes and a wave of familiar faces entered the Transfer Portal. Rice would rebuild once again, hoping to do so with a talented freshmen class and a smattering of hand-picked transfers.

That process was expedited in mid-October when Boise State transfer Riley Abercrombie was granted immediate eligibility following a waiver request submitted to the NCAA. Rice got more good news this week, learning another transfer, Travis Evee, formerly of VMI, has also been cleared to play this season. That’s two big additions to the Rice basketball roster for the upcoming season.

Evee was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year last season, leading VMI with 12.6 points per game. He made 36.2 percent of his three-point attempts at VMI and has impressed in his time on campus thus far. His immediate eligibility will be huge for the Rice offense, which needed another proven scorer as well as someone who can direct the offense. Evee could check both of those boxes.

Several new faces will join Evee and Abercrombie on the court this fall. Texas Tech transfer Malik Ondigo will be eligible this season after sitting out last year per transfer protocols. Grad transfers Cavit Ege Havsa and Tre Clark should both make an impact as well JUCO guard Jake Lieppert. That cast of new characters will join the likes of Payon Moore, Chris Mullins, Max Fiedler and Quincy Olivari.

There will be a lot of new faces on the court at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. Fortunately for the Owls, they won’t have to wait an additional season to see one of their most promising new additions in action at South Main.

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