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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Southern Miss

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Rice Basketball is five games into conference play with the men 1-4 and the women 5-0. Both teams take on Southern Miss next. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Reed Green Coliseum
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Southern Miss 4-14 (0-5), Last 5 (0-5)

  • 80-49 (L) vs LA Tech
  • 78-50 (L) at LA Tech
  • 76-64 (L) at UTEP
  • 80-70 (L) at UTSA
  • 72-52 (L) vs North Texas

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

  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU
  • 92-78 (W) vs FIU
  • 72-56 (L) at LA Tech

Southern Miss statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Gabe Watson – 13.3 per game
  • Rebounds | Leonard Harper-Baker – 7.3 per game
  • Assists | Jay Malone – 4.0 per game
  • Steals | Leonard Harper-Baker – 1.8 per game
  • Blocks | Leonard Harper-Baker – 0.3 per game

Rice keys to victory

Southern Miss has plagued by poor offensive possessions all season. It’s not just a shooting issue — Southern Miss is middle of the pack there — it’s the turnovers. The Golden Eagles are 13th in C-USA in turnover margin and have just one game of fewer than 30 turnovers in their last eight contests. Rice will get opportunities. They’ll have to take advantage of them.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV

Southern Miss 11-4 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  •  71-59 (W) vs Faulkner
  • 66-60 (W) vs LA Tech
  • 89-72 (L) vs UTEP
  • 82-65 (W) vs UTSA
  • 66-57 (W) at North Texas

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

  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-69 (W) at FAU
  • 68-47 (W) at FIU
  • 60-47 (W) vs LA Tech

Southern Miss statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Shonte Hailes – 16.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Respect Leaphart – 5.5 per game
  • Assists | Daishai Almond – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Alarie Mayze – 2.3 per game
  • Blocks | Amber Landing – 1.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

The defensive end of the court will continue to be the bedrock of this team, especially if Erica Ogwumike sits another game — a distinct possibility. Southern Miss shoots the ball well but hasn’t played a team with the same level of intensity that Rice will bring on defense. North Texas was a good test for them. The Mean Green held the Golden Eagles to 65 points, their lowest total in C-USA play.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs LA Tech

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Rice Basketball is four games into conference play with the men 1-3 and the women 4-0. Both teams take on Louisiana Tech next. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Thomas Assembly Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

LA Tech 12-4 (3-1), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 87-47 (W) vs Southern-New Orleans
  • 80-49 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 78-50 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 89-73 (L) at UTSA
  • 64-61 (W) at UTEP

Rice 9-8 (1-3), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU
  • 92-78 (W) vs FIU

LA Tech players to watch

The Bulldogs are led by a trio of guards. Daquan Bracey will be the biggest threat the Owls will have to stop first. LA Tech’s leading scorer averaging 12.5 points per game, Bracey has finished with less than 10 points twice in his team’s 16 games. Normally a lights out shooter from deep, he’s been a bit cold from outside, a drought Rice will attempt to extend.

Kalob Ledoux and Amorie Archibald are both strong shooters, too, with an equally impressive 92 percent free throw rate.  Mubarak Muhammed is the man inside. He leads the team with 8.9 blocks per game.

Rice keys to victory

Louisiana Tech doesn’t have the best record in C-USA by accident. They’ve been a complete team averaging in the top four in both scoring offense and scoring defense so far this season. They don’t commit turnovers (12 per game, fewest in C-USA) and play smart. They rank 11th in three-point defense, an advantage Rice needs to exploit. The Owls got their first C-USA win with a big game from three. An encore performance is needed to take down Louisiana Tech.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
TV: CUSA TV

LA Tech 9-5 (1-2), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 70-66 (W) vs Grambling
  • 67-54 (W) vs Arkansas St
  • 66-60 (L) at Southern Miss
  • 82-73 (L) vs UTSA
  • 87-80 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 9-6 (4-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-69 (W) at FAU
  • 68-47 (W) at FIU

LA Tech players to watch

Keiunna Walker and Amber Dixon are the primary shooters for Louisiana Tech. Each has had good games, but they’ve struggled to both find simultaneous success. Walker is coming off games of 28 points against UTEP and 21 against UTSA. Prior to those contests, Dixon had tallied double-digits in five straight games. Anna Larr Roberson and MeMe Amand lead the team in rebounds.

Rice keys to victory

The health of Erica Ogwumike is the biggest question entering this game. She went down midway through the second half of the FIU game and has since undergone tests. It was a scary moment, but there’s optimism she will be available again soon, possibly as soon as tonight against Louisiana Tech. Losing her on the court would be a tremendous blow, but freshman Lauren Schwartz has shown flashes and would be tasked with keeping things moving if Ogwumike does miss time.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Men and Women ready for FIU on Saturday

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Rice Basketball is three games into conference play with the men 0-3 and the women 3-0. Each seeks a win on Saturday against FIU. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FIU 11-5 (2-1), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 83-67 (W) at Stetson
  • 89-62 (L) at Minnesota
  • 69-67 (W) vs UTEP
  • 90-83 OT (W) vs UTSA
  • 74-56 (L) at North Texas

Rice 8-8 (0-3), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU
  • 81-76 (L) vs FAU

FIU players to watch

Devon Andrews will man the point of attack for the Panthers on Saturday. He’ll enter the game fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 16.7 points per game. Andrews will be flanked  Osasumwen Osaghae, who is a rebound and a half shy of averaging a double-double this season. Osaghae leads C-USA with 68 blocks, 42 more than the runner up. Antonio Daye Jr will set the table at guard. He leads the team in assists.

Rice keys to victory

Rice has beaten themselves in their last three conference games just as much as their opponents have gotten the better of them. Playing 40 minutes of focused, controlled basketball has eluded this team. If Rice can keep things close and avoid a double-digit deficit at home, they’re capable of going on a few scoring runs and beating FIU. They’ll need to shoot better to do that; FIU leads C-USA in scoring with 80.4 points per game.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Ocean Bank Convocation Center
TV: C-USA TV

FIU 4-10 (1-2), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 58-56 (L) vs Austin Peay
  • 72-57 (L) vs Brown
  • 64-34 (L) at UTEP
  • 60-45 (L) at UTSA
  • 58-56 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 7-6 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU
  • 78-699 (W) at FAU

FIU players to watch

FIU is led by a trio of players: center Chelsea Guimaraes and guards Jiselle Thomas and Fujika Nimmo. All three are averaging roughly 10 points per game, with Guimaraes providing a steady presence inside. At 6-foot-3, she leads the team with 110 rebounds and 12 blocks.

Rice keys to victory

The FIU women rank dead last in the conference in scoring offense, averaging 53.1 points per game. If Rice plays their brand of basketball, they’ll keep FIU from putting up too many points. The real battle will be on the other side of the court where a middle-of-the-pack FIU defense will try to limit a Rice offense that has been streaky at times.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Furious rally falls short against FAU

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Rice Basketball overcame a 22-point deficit but faltered down the stretch, dropping their C-USA home opener to FAU to remain winless in conference play.

Five missed shots to start the game proved to be a bad omen for a Rice basketball team that has grown all too accustomed to playing from behind. Rice has faced double-digit deficits in each of its first two conference games. They were down by 11 in the first 10 minutes of their third C-USA contest.

Rice would trail by as many as 22 points after watching their nine-point halftime deficit balloon on a 15-2 FAU run to open the second half. It was at that point during the first media timeout of the second half that head coach Scott Pera stepped away from the huddle. The entire coaching staff stood aside while the team held an impromptu players-only meeting on the side of the court.

“This is their team. This is their program,” Pera said, “So if they get maybe punched in the mouth a little bit, they need to talk through it and be able to pull each other up together and hold each other accountable.”

Accountability sank in quickly. Over the span of the next half hour, Rice went on two big runs, whittling down the deficit to single digits before taking a 68-67 lead with 4:20 to play. This was the second time this season Rice had erased a 22-point deficit. The first came on the road against UC Santa Barbara. The Owls were able to hold on and win that game. They were less fortunate against FAU.

Guard Cornelius Taylor had a career-high 34 points, seven of which came after Rice had taken their brief lead. To come back from that far and not find a way to finish was heartbreaking for a young team still trying to find its way.

Pera didn’t mince words. “It hurts and you want to hurt. It’s gotta hurt. Because if it doesn’t hurt, then then it doesn’t matter enough,” he said, “I want them to feel it. I feel it, my staff feels it. We’re competitive people.”

Rice basketball has competed well this season but their consistency leaves much to be desired. The Owls have not been shooting well of late. When the shots aren’t falling, the defensive effort seems to loosen. Bad becomes worse just as quickly as good becomes better. Pera notices the same thing, citing a lack of maturity that is slowly being built over time. On nights like Thursday, that process is more painful to swallow.

Final Stats

Player of the game – Drew Peterson

The development of Drew Peterson has been a bright spot this season. “I just feel really comfortable out there,” he said, crediting his growth to the belief his teammates have in him and the work he put in during the offseason. The results have been encouraging. He led the team on Thursday with 15 points, despite shooting just 5-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. He was a bit more erratic with the ball than he needs to be, but his willingness to push his teammates helped jump-start two important Rice rallies.

Up Next

Rice hosts Western Kentucky on Saturday. The Hilltoppers entered conference play 8-3. The Owls last faced WKU in the Conference USA Tournament, beating them in a tightly contested game, 64-57.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Men and Women set to take on FAU

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Rice Basketball is two games into conference play with the men 0-2 and the women 2-0. Both face a new test on Thursday against FAU. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FAU 10-5 (2-0), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 84-35 (W) vs Tampa
  • 65-50 (W) at Mercer
  • 60-58 (L) at USF
  • 70-64 (W) vs UTSA
  • 59-56 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 8-7 (0-2), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 96-84 (W) vs HBU
  • 103-70 (W) vs St. Thomas
  • 75-61 (L) vs Sam Houston St
  • 89-69 (L) at Marshall
  • 66-61 (L) at WKU

FAU players to watch

Cornelius Taylor leads the team in scoring (10.4 points per game) with Michael Forrest right behind him (9.9 points per game). Forrest has been in a bit of shooting slump of late, but his tremendous work from the charity stripe has made him a valuable offensive asset. Madiaw Niang (4.8 per game) and Jailyn Ingram (3.9 per game) are the top rebounders.

Rice keys to victory

FAU is an extremely balanced team. They’ve had four leading scorers in five games, but have one 20-point individual performance since their season opener. Unlike other team’s Rice will face in C-USA, that the Owls will have to key in on more than others. Nevertheless, standing tall on defense has to be the priority. Rice is 5-1 when holding their opponent to 70 points or fewer, with that lone loss coming last weekend to WKU.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Venue: FAU Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

FAU 7-6 (1-1), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 72-54 (L) vs Central Connecticut
  • 69-63 (L) vs Furman
  • 69-51 (L) vs Harvard
  • 80-53 (W) vs UTSA
  • 96-65 (L) vs UTEP

Rice 7-6 (2-0), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 77-55 (W) vs Prairie View A&M
  • 54-45 (L) vs Virginia Tech
  • 54-52 (L) vs Georgia Tech
  • 81-43 (W) vs Marshall
  • 73-65 (W) vs WKU

FAU players to watch

Crystal Primm has cooled down since conference play began, but her 31-point performance against Little Rock earlier this year is proof of how dangerous she can be. She’s the top scorer for FAU this season, averaging 13.7 points per game, also registering three double-doubles along the way. Lotta Vehka-Aho is the key distributor, averaging 3.2 assists per game, top 10 in C-USA. Juliette Gauthier and Astou Gaye round out the rest of the key pieces.

Rice keys to victory

FAU doesn’t force many turnovers and ranks 12th in C-USA in assist/turnover ratio. Rice is going to get extra possessions on Thursday and they’ll need to take advantage of them. Turnovers have been an issue for Rice lately, including 20 last time out against WKU. Taking care of the basketball on both ends of the court will go a long way toward Rice coming home with a victory.

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