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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Charlotte

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Each of the Rice Basketball teams saw winning streaks snapped against Old Dominion. They’ll look to get back on track against Charlotte. Here’s a preview of those games.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 15 at 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.)

Charlotte 14-10 (8-5), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 72-59 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 74-68 OT (L) at Southern Miss
  • 68-64 (W) vs UTEP
  • 91-84 (W) vs UTSA
  • 81-72 (L) at North Texas

Rice 12-14 (4-9), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU
  • 73-70 (L) vs Old Dominion

Charlotte statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jordan Shepherd – 14.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Jahmir Young- 5.2 per game
  • Assists | Jordan Shepherd – 4.2 per game
  • Steals | Cooper Robb – 1.6 per game
  • Blocks | Amidou Bamba – 1.0 per game

Rice keys to victory

The Owls’ shooting pace entering the Old Dominion game was unsustainable. They’d hit more than 50 percent of their shots from the field in each of their three prior games — all victories. Dropping back down below that mark was expected. Falling all the way to 36.1 % was a bit more than regression to the mean. A stunning 8-for-37 from three was the culprit. Rice needs to find a way to be a bit more effective inside against Charlotte which ranks fourth in C-USA in three-point defense.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 15 at 3:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Halton Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Charlotte 16-7 (7-5), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 55-37 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 63-59 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 82-76 OT (L) at UTEP
  • 67-47 (W) at UTSA
  • 72-59 (W) vs North Texas

Rice 16-6 (11-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB
  • 77-60 (W) vs MTSU
  • 66-59 OT (L) at Old Dominion

Charlotte statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Jade Phillips – 15.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Jade Phillips – 9.7 per game
  • Assists | Jada McMillian – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Jade Phillips – 1.5 per game
  • Blocks | Jazmin Harris – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice women’s basketball has no streak to uphold when they hit the court in Charlotte on Saturday. The Owls played hard against Old Dominion, but the focus was lacking at times. The free throw shooting was sub-par and the thin lineup wasn’t able to bounce back in a tough environment. It was an off night. Every team has those.

The Owls can put any thoughts of a drop off to bed by playing their physical brand of basketball and eliminating some of those unforced errors. To this point, Rice has proven they’re a hard to beat when they don’t beat themselves.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs Old Dominion

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Both Men’s and Women’s Rice Basketball teams face pivotal matchups against Old Dominion on Thursday. Here’s a preview of both games.

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 13 at 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.)

Old Dominion 10-15 (6-6), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 65-55 (W) vs FAU
  • 68-58 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 76-73 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 85-81 OT (L) vs UTSA
  • 72-53 (W) vs UTEP

Rice 12-13 (4-8), Last 5 (3-2)

  • 72-64 (L) vs UTEP
  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB
  • 91-83 (W) at MTSU

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Xavier Green – 12.5 per game
  • Rebounds | Aaron Carver – 10.2 per game
  • Assists | Malik Curry – 3.7 per game
  • Steals | Jason Wade – 2.6 per game
  • Blocks | Aaron Carver – 0.6 per game

Rice keys to victory

Fresh off their first wins ever in Birmingham and Murfreesboro, Rice basketball just needs to keep the hot streak going. The Owls’ shooting has been tremendous. They’ve shot better than 50 percent from the field in three straight games — all wins. They only hit seven three-pointers against MTSU and still controlled the game.

This team has proven they can beat anyone if they’re shooting well. That’s easier said than done, but it’s a clear differentiator between success and failure.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Chartway Arena
TV: ESPN+ (If you don’t have ESPN+ you can access a free trial or subscribe here.)

Old Dominion 20-3 (10-1), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 75-63 (W) at FAU
  • 67-50 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 77-61 (W) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 62-43 (W) at UTSA
  • 77-69 (W) at UTEP

Rice 16-6 (11-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 69-61 (W) at UTEP
  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB
  • 77-60 (W) vs MTSU

Old Dominion statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Ajah Wayne – 11.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Amari Young – 8.4 per game
  • Assists | Taylor Edwards – 3.4 per game
  • Steals | Amair Young – 2.5 per game
  • Blocks | Marie Reichert – 1.3 per game

Rice keys to victory

Rice women’s basketball takes a 30-game conference winning streak into this pivotal matchup with Old Dominion. The winner leaves in first place in the conference standings with precious few weeks left to play.

Old Dominion is one of the most balanced teams in the conference. They can score and play terrific defense.  Four different Monarchs average double-digit points per game. To win, Rice needs to stay secure on the defensive end of the court and make Old Dominion make hard shots. Either way, this could be a grind-it-out, grueling finish in Virginia.

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Rice Basketball 2020: Tiebreaker scenarios prior to C-USA pod play

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Rice basketball has their eyes set on a Conference USA Championship Tournament berth. Here’s what it would take to secure a spot.

The Conference USA Basketball Tournament pits the top 12 of 14 conference teams in a four-day event. An automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament is the grand prize. Rice basketball is playing their best down the stretch and hoping for a shot in Frisco. The Owls have to get there first before they can entertain any ideas of cutting down nets.

The easy way

Conference USA introduced the pod system last season in hopes of earning the league an at large bid. That hasn’t materialized yet, but it has added a bit more intrigue to the final month of the season. Teams 1 through 5, 6 through 10 and 11 through 14 face off against each other.

The top two brackets have the distinction of guaranteed spots in the conference tournament. The top two teams of the bottom pod get in whereas the bottom two are the only programs left at home. Here’s a snapshot of the current standings and projected finishes.

Rice basketball is mathematically alive for the middle pod, but it’s complicated. Any loss would eliminate them from the middle pod and land them in the bottom pod. Here’s the path t0 the middle.

Currently sitting at 4-8 in conference play, Rice would need to win out, beating Old Dominion and Charlotte. That would put their record at 6-8. From there, Rice would need two of the following four things to happen to make the middle pod:

  1. UAB loses at least once (vs MTSU, at MTSU) dropping their record to 6-8 or worse. (Rice has the head to head victory)
  2. UTEP loses at least once (vs Marshall, vs WKU) dropping their record to 5-9 of worse
  3. UTSA loses twice (vs Marshall, vs WKU) dropping their record to 5-9
  4. Old Dominion loses twice (at Rice, at North Texas) dropping their record to 6-8 (Rice would have the head to head victory)

Marshall or FAU finishing 6-8 wouldn’t help Rice. Both programs own head to head wins over the Owls.

The hard way

If Rice is seeded in the bottom pod they’ll have to finish in the top two of that four team grouping. They’ve already beaten Middle Tennessee, so they’d most likely need to conjure a reprisal of that performance and find another win or two along the way. It’s possible but more challenging than an autobid.

Rooting guide

Rice basketball fans need to root for these outcomes, in order of importance by day.

Midweek (Thursday games)

  • Rice beats Old Dominion
  • Middle Tennessee beats UAB (Wednesday)
  • WKU beats UTEP
  • Marshall beats UTSA
  • FAU beats Southern Miss

Saturday games

  • Rice beats Charlotte
  • North Texas beats Old Dominion
  • Middle Tennessee beats UAB
  • Marshall beats UTEP
  • WKU beats UTSA

There are a few more complicated scenarios that could allow Rice to sneak in. We’ll have an update on where things stand entering the weekend. The first step is a win Thursday against Old Dominion. If Rice can’t achieve that, the rest of these combinations are void.

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Rice Women’s Basketball 2020: Owls dispatch MTSU for 30th straight C-USA win

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In a rematch of last season’s Conference USA Championship Game, Rice women’s basketball beat Middle Tennessee with relative ease.

For the 30th time in as many tries, Rice women’s basketball won a conference game. The Owls’ most recent victory, a 77-60 win over Middle Tennessee at Tudor Fieldhouse on Saturday served as the most recent reminder of this team’s dominance.

Rice had dispatched of every C-USA opponent they’d faced this season, but they had yet to play either Old Dominion or Middle Tennessee, the two programs still in striking distance of the Owls’ in the conference standings. Facing their toughest test of the season, Rice verified their supremacy with their trademark level of suffocating defensive intensity.

Middle Tennessee made two of their first 15 shots and nine of their first 32. The Lady Raiders entered with a 40% shooting percentage on the season. Rice held them to 33.8% shooting while knocking down 47.3% of their own shots.

Winning conference games is hard. Rice women’s basketball has made it seem easy. And beating one of the conference’s better teams by nearly 20 points only underscores the expectations the Owls are putting on themselves. Perfection isn’t the goal — the NCAA Tournament is — but the more Rice wins the closer they get to achieving that greater aspiration.

Final Stats

Player of the Game – Erica Ogwumike

The impressiveness of Rice women’s basketball leading scorer Erica Ogwumike continues to be understated. On Saturday she tallied a double-double at halftime. That would have been her 10th consecutive double-double had she not been subbed out with nine rebounds when Rice had a commanding lead over UAB their last time out.

Ogwumike finished with ## points and ## rebounds. Her presence on the court gives Rice a chance to win every possession, something few teams in college basketball can say of any one individual.

Up Next

Rice women’s basketball will hit the road for their next two contests. On Thursday, Feb. 13 they’ll face Old Dominion in arguably their most important C-USA game of the season to this point. That game is scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday they’ll head to Charlotte for a 3:00 p.m. game. Both are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.

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Rice Basketball 2020 Game Preview: Men and Women vs MTSU

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Both Men’s and Women’s Rice Basketball teams are on winning streaks. Can they keep them going against Middle Tennessee on Saturday?

Rice Basketball

Time: Feb. 8 at 5:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Murphy Athletic Center
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: CUSA TV 

MTSU 6-18 (2-9), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 80-73 (L) vs Louisiana Tech
  • 65-63 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 67-66 (L) at UTEP
  • 83-80 (W) at UTSA
  • 75-70 (L) vs North Texas

Rice 11-13 (3-8), Last 5 (2-3)

  • 79-59 (L) at North Texas
  • 72-64 (L) vs UTEP
  • 90-88 (L) vs UTSA
  • 84-75 (W) vs North Texas
  • 86-72 (W) at UAB

MTSU statistical leaders

  • Scoring | C.J. Jones – 16.2 per game
  • Rebounds | Tyson Jackson – 5.0 per game
  • Assists | Donovan Sims – 3.5 per game
  • Steals | Donovan Sims – 1.7 per game
  • Blocks | Tyson Jackson – 0.8 per game

Rice keys to victory

Beyond an incredible stretch of shooting, the Owls’ recent two-game winning streak has featured a pair of hot starts that have put a renewed sense of confidence in a team coming off a tough stretch. Rice tends to be a streaky shooting team. If the Owls can keep the game close early until they find their stroke, they might have found a recipe for success that could work.

Rice Women's Basketball

Time: Feb. 8 at 2:00 p.m. CT
Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse
Radio: Stretch Internet Portal
TV: ESPN3

MTSU 16-7 (8-3), Last 5 (4-1)

  • 78-60 (L) at Louisiana Tech
  • 77-69 (W) at Southern Miss
  • 76-60 (W) vs UTEP
  • 69-48 (W) vs UTSA
  • 80-60 (W) at North Texas

Rice 15-6 (10-0), Last 5 (5-0)

  • 75-64 (W) vs Southern Miss
  • 69-61 (W) at UTEP
  • 74-62 (W) at UTSA
  • 67-52 (W) at North Texas
  • 64-53 (W) vs UAB

MTSU statistical leaders

  • Scoring | Anastasia Hayes – 17.7 per game
  • Rebounds | Charity Savage – 11.2 per game
  • Assists | Anastasia Hayes – 4.1 per game
  • Steals | Charity Savage – 1.9 per game
  • Blocks | Charity Savage – 1.5 per game

Rice keys to victory

This will be a rematch of last year’s conference championship game. The Owls’ won that game, but it wasn’t easy. Middle Tennesse led by eight points at halftime before Rice turned on the jets in the third quarter and eventually punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

The third quarter has been where Rice has made its move. Tina Langley’s squad makes adjustments, executes and outlasts. Saturday’s contest should be no different. If Rice can win the third quarter, they’ll have enough firepower to prevail at home.

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