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Rice Basketball clinches C-USA Tourney bid with win over Southern Miss

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Rice basketball punched its ticket to Frisco, securing a spot in the Conference USA Basketball Tournament with their win over Southern Miss.

Rice basketball did not play their best game in their first trip of the season to Reed Green Coliseum. A narrow halftime deficit turned into a blowout after the Golden Eagles caught fire in the second half, outscoring Rice 47-38 the rest of the way for a 81-68 win.

There were no signs of a repeat performance from either team on Wednesday. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but Rice made the shots that mattered. Rice hit 13 three-pointers compared to six by Southern Miss. The Owls’ suddenly stingy defense forced 18 turnovers, paving the way for extra opportunities and an early double-digit lead.

Leading 32-22 at halftime, Rice did not make it through the second half with ease. Southern Miss hit four consecutive three point shots to erase the double-digit advantage and take a three-point lead. Rice battled back, answering the streaky Southern Miss shooting with steady defense, holding on for the win.

Final Stats

Player of the Game – Drew Peterson

Peterson had 16 points and led the Owls in rebounds (eight) and assists (four). He made four of his nine shots from distance, leading his by example through all the highs and lows of this back and forth contest. He became the first player in Rice history with 300 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists in a season.  Peterson’s growth during the season has been remarkable. Wednesday was another testament to that development.

Up Next

By virtue of their win over Southern Miss, Rice basketball has clinched a spot in the Conference USA Basketball Tournament. No matter what happens in their final regular season game, the Owls will play at least one game in Frisco. Before that, the Owls close out bonus play on Saturday at home against UTEP. That game will tip off at 1:00 p.m. and air on CUSATV.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Owls vs Middle Tennessee

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Rice basketball returns home in need of a win to keep their Conference USA Tournament hopes alive. How do the Owls’ stack up against Middle Tennessee?

Rice Basketball

Time: March 1 at 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSATV

MTSU 7-21 (3-12), Last 5 (1-4)

  • 75-70 (L) vs North Texas
  • 91-83 (L) vs Rice
  • 83-72 (L) at UAB
  • 79-66 (L) vs UAB
  • 61-53 (W) at Southern Miss

Rice 13-15 (5-10), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU
  • 73-70 (L) vs Old Dominion
  • 70-54 (W) vs Charlotte
  • 68-62 (L) at UTEP

MTSU statistical leaders

  • Scoring | CJ Jones – 16.4 per game
  • Rebounds | Jayce Johnson – 4.9 per game
  • Assists | Donovan Sims – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Donovan Sims – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Tyson Jackson – 0.7 per game

Rice statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Trey Murphy – 13.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Drew Peterson – 6.5 per game
  • Assists | Drew Peterson – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Trey Murphy – 1.1 per game
  • Blocks | Trey Murphy – 0.6 per game

Rice keys to victory

When Rice basketball and Middle Tennessee last met the Owls shot the lights out of the Murphy Athletic Center in Murfreesboro. Rice shot 52.8 percent from the field and scored 91 points, the most against any conference opponent this season.

A hot shooting start would be a plus, but it’s the defensive side of the ball which could hold the key. Middle Tennessee is a poor rebounding team that is currently ranked in the top half of Conference USA in turnovers. Rice is going to be able to score against Middle Tennessee’s porous defense. Staying vigilant on the other end of the court should ensure the Owls get a much-needed bounce-back win.

Standings check

Middle Tennessee win against Southern Miss in their previous game puts the burden to win this matchup squarely on Rice. If the Blue Raiders win, they’ll finish above Rice in the final standings with two wins and the tiebreakers over the Owls. If Rice wants to control their own destiny, they have to win this game.

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Conference USA Basketball: Men’s and Women’s Bracketology (Feb. 26)

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Conference USA Basketball hopes to extend its season into the NCAA Tournament. Here are the latest Bracketology projections for the men and women.

Men

13-Seed North Texas vs 4-Seed Oregon (West Region)

Pod play was meant to raise the profile of the conference, enabling the top teams to gain additional resume-building wins. We haven’t seen that ideal play out yet. As things currently stand, Conference USA looks to be a one-bid league once again.

Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky are currently the two teams on the outside looking in. Tech owns the conference’s best record at 20-7 and sits at No. 73 in Kenpom’s ratings, two spots ahead of North Texas (No. 74th).

It’s conceivable that either North Texas or Louisiana Tech could run the rest of the table in the regular season before the other wins the conference tournament. Even then, it would take an exceedingly weak bubble to get two C-USA squads into the field this year.

Women

11-Seed Western Kentucky vs 6-Seed TCU (Fort Wayne Region)
11-Seed Old Dominion vs 6-Seed Kentucky (Greenville Region)

The women have a much better chance of getting multiple bids. Old Dominion and Western Kentucky are both projected to be in the field right now. They’ve each compiled an RPI in the Top 35, well within the range of an at-large selection should they fail to clinch an automatic bid.

Defending Conference USA Basketball Tournament Champion Rice is tied with Old Dominion atop the standings. Rice doesn’t have the resume to get in without winning the tournament, whereas both Old Dominion and Western Kentucky could secure a spot with a few more wins down the stretch.

It’s more likely the women get three teams into the NCAA Tournament than it is for the men to get two representatives. The Rice women would have to win the tournament with some bubble help for the other squads, but it’s starting to look like more of a legitimate possibility than anyone might have thought a few months ago.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men at UTEP | Women at UAB

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There will be no Rice basketball at Tudor Fieldhouse this weekend. Both the men and the women hit the road for games against UTEP and UAB, respectively.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 22 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Don Haskins Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSATV

UTEP 13-14 (4-10), Last 5 (0-5)

  • 69-55 (L) vs UAB
  • 68-64 (L) at Charlotte
  • 72-53 (L) at Old Dominion
  • 67-62 (L) vs WKU
  • 71-61 (L) vs Marshall

Rice 13-14 (5-9), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU
  • 73-70 (L) vs Old Dominion
  • 70-54 (W) vs Charlotte

UTEP statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Bryson Williams – 18.6 per game
  • Rebounds | Bryson Williams- 7.1 per game
  • Assists | Jordan Lathon – 2.8 per game
  • Steals | Nigel Hawkins – 1.0 per game
  • Blocks | Bryson Williams – 0.9 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice basketball put together a near-perfect gameplan when they squared off with UTEP in Houston earlier this year. The Owls silenced Bryson Williams, holding him to three points before he fouled out. He attempted just two field goals, well under his season average of 13.4 attempts.

The supporting cast didn’t was limited, too. UTEP shot 5-of-28 from three (17.8%). Still, the Miners managed to make a few more shots than Rice down the stretch. If Rice can execute that plan again but bring their recent hot shooting hands, the Owls have all the pieces they need to get their revenge.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Bartow Arena
TV: CUSATV

UAB 17-9 (9-5), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 63-51 (W) vs UTEP
  • 64-53 (L) at Rice
  • 51-50 (W) at North Texas
  • 62-52 (L) vs MTSU
  • 61-59 (W) at MTSU

Rice 16-8 (11-2), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB
  • 77-60 (W) vs MTSU
  • 66-59 OT (L) at Old Dominion
  • 62-51 (L) at Charlotte
  • 69-66 (W) vs North Texas

UAB statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Rachael Childress – 16.9 per game
  • Rebounds | Angela Vendrell – 7.7 per game
  • Assists | Angela Vendrell – 4.7 per game
  • Steals | Angela Vendrell – 1.2 per game
  • Blocks | Zakyia Weathersby – 1.1 per game

Rice keys to victory

The Owls cycled through much more of their bench against North Texas than they’ve typically rotated through in previous weeks. As long as Nancy Mulkey is limited or unable to go, finding production from the bench will be hugely important. Alexah Chrisman, Kendall Ellig, Destiny Jackson and others have risen up from time to time. Who will it be on Saturday?

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Rice Basketball: Glue-guy Drew Peterson has become one of Owls’ leaders

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Rice basketball has gone through a transformation on and off the court this season. Drew Peterson has been one of the men leading the charge.

The 2019-2020 Rice Basketball season has bounced from high to low and back again. In the midst of those oscillating waves of success and failure, Drew Peterson has been at the center of a team learning to compete at a consistent level. A role player for head coach Scott Pera as a true freshman last year, Peterson has settled into a leadership role with this year’s squad.

In an interview in the early weeks of conference play, Peterson spoke of the changes he’s seen in his own game — changes that have continued throughout the season. “I feel more comfortable out there,” Peterson said. “I’m really trying to slow the game down. I think that’s the biggest thing between this [year] and last year. I was so fast-paced last year and I was chaotic. And now I can really see the whole floor and sit and read situations. I feel really comfortable out there.”

That comfort has translated to more time on the court. Peterson eclipsed 30 minutes once last season. He’s been on the court for at least 30 minutes in 16 of the Owls’ 27 games this season, playing 38+ minutes three times in conference play.

Pera says Peterson’s newfound confidence has turned him into a creator for the Owls’ offense. Pera called Peterson “a unique player because he’s got that size [and] vision and as he continues to be more aggressive he can make plays for us.”

For Peterson, those plays haven’t necessarily meant more scoring for himself. His 10.1 points per game average rank fourth on the team. Instead, he’s freed up others to make easier shots. Peterson has six or more assists in four of his last five outings. His 91 assists this season are Top 10 in Conference USA. His teammates have noticed the difference.

Owls’ leading scorer Trey Murphy credits Peterson for a portion of his success. “He’s been rebounding, getting assists for guys, creating his own shot, and I commend him for it. He gives me a lot of open layups when I cut.”

That’s been the most noticeable difference in Peterson’s game. He’s still rough around the edges. His improvisation has led to occasional turnover struggles that have put the Owls in tough positions. But more often than not, Peterson sets his team up for success rather than failure. The consistency should only improve as he grows into his role as a leader for Rice basketball.

Peterson’s hand will be needed now more than ever. Rice basketball was assigned to the lowest pod for the final four games of the season. Rice is in elimination mode. If they don’t edge two of UTEP, Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss down the stretch, their season is over. Peterson has come a long way. It’s time for him to elevate his game one more time.

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