The source for Rice sports news

Rice Basketball: Mixed nonconference play shows modest improvement

By

It’s been an up and down start to the Rice basketball season. Moe on the good, the bad and the path forward for the Owls this season.

Rice basketball has secured a winning record in nonconference play for the first time in the Scott Pera era. In Pera’s first year, the Owls were 3-10 prior to C-USA action. Last season they improved to 5-8. At the end of 2019, Rice is 8-5 with conference play set to start on Thursday.

The emergence of Trey Murphy has been an important development for this team. He missed the Bahamas Showcase with an injury suffered during the Houston game but has since returned to form. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.8 points per game.

Ako Adams is keeping a clean handle on the ball and distributing well, opening up opportunities for guys like Robert Martin and Drew Peterson, who’s on pace to have the best season of his young career.

Freshman Max Fiedler, Zach Crisler and Quincy Olivari have become core pieces of the rotation. Fielder is third on the team with 51 rebounds and Crisler is shooting a cool .529 from the field.

Room for improvement

It hasn’t been all roses. In fact, it’s been more of a roller coaster than expected. A 4-1 start and a 2-for-3 showing in the Island of Bahamas Showcase were the high points. A narrow loss to Houston at home and a gutpunch defeat to Sam Houston in the nonconference finale were the low points.

Discipline remains a noticeable sticking point with this team. It’s hard to wrap your head around how a Rice team that made quick work of a good Penn team could flounder against Lamar and also erase a 22-point deficit to knock off UC Santa Barbara on the road. The best of Rice can hang with an elite Houston team. The worst was blown out by Arkansas by 48 points.

The team is still young, and their collective experience has produced positive moments. If they can pull together enough of those, they should be able to take another step forward as conference play begins.

The path forward

Five of the Owls’ first seven conference games are away from home. They’ll tip off against Marshall on Thursday, January 2 and make the short trip to Western Kentucky on Saturday, January 4. Then they return home for games against Florida Atlantic (Jan. 9) and FIU (Jan. 11)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep. 18 – 2019 MTSU Review, North Texas Preview

By

Rice Football picked up a big win over Middle Tennessee in Week 12. Carter and Matthew break down the victory and preview the North Texas matchup.

For the first time this season, it’s time to discuss a Rice football victory. The win over Middle Tennessee was the first road win of Mike Bloomgren’s tenure at Rice and one with plenty of things to work through, more good than bad.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 18 below.

Episode 18 Notes

  • News and notes —  Rice Basketball had a heartbreaking week. The women lost a one-point slugfest with No. 5 Texas A&M. Then, two days later, the men let a big first half lead slip away, falling to crosstown rival Houston on Tuesday night. The women’s team is coming into form and the men’s team has looked much better than expected after the first few weeks.
  • Middle Tennessee Review — Rice came out swinging, jumping out to a 17-0 lead in Murfreesboro. Carter and Matthew talk through the big day from the offense, highlighting moments from wide receiver Brad Rozner and running back Aston Walter. The coaching staff had this team ready to go and the Owls were able to slam the door in the fourth quarter for the first time.
  • North Texas Preview — As of now, Mason Fine is projected to play on Saturday against Rice football. Whoever is at the controls, North Texas is going to make the Rice football defense work. The defense is a different story. The Owls should be able to put up some points, setting themselves with a chance to improve their winning streak to two in a row.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball: Hot start not enough as Owls fall to Houston

By

The blue and white-clad Rice basketball squad started red-hot, only to be cooled down by Quentin Grimes and the resilient Houston Cougars.

The crowd was roaring from start to finish at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. A fairly even mix of red and blue was hardly ever silent as cross-town rivals Rice basketball and Houston battled it out on the hardwood in front of them.

The home team that came out swinging. Two foul shots from Trey Murphy got things started. He quickly followed those with a pair of three-point bombs to give Rice an 8-0 lead. The Cougars found their success on the boards early, but their rebounding edge only had a marginal impact as Rice kept making shot after shot, after shot… after shot.

Houston cut the Rice lead to two midway through the first half before Rice went on a 13-0 run behind two long three-pointers from Robert Martin. The Cougars battled back, but a Trey Murphy dunk to close out the half gave Rice a 39-32 lead at the break.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball drops close one to No. 5 Texas A&M – Recap

The second half was a slugfest. Houston quickly equalized as the teams traded haymakers for the remainder of the contest. When Houston scored, Rice always found an answer. Robert Martin continued on from a strong first half with Drew Peterson surging with several timely shots.

The two sides traded single-digit advantages until the Cougars’ Quentin Grimes caught fire. The Kansas transfer hit four three-pointers in the final six minutes of regulation, turning a close game into an 11-point Houston lead in the final minute. The Owls did the best they could to extend the game with free throws, but Houston prevailed 97-89.

“There’s no moral victories right now in this program anymore,” head coach Scott Pera said following the game. “I thought we played winning basketball for about 34 minutes… we expected to win and we came up short.”

Player of the Game – Drew Peterson

The balance that Rice basketball has exhibited on the court since their opening night loss has been pristine. The usual suspects — Trey Murphy, Robert Martin and Ako Adams — have had big games, but, by and large, the team has worked together as a unit with stunning precision. They’re passing the ball well, finding the open man and making their shots.

Tonight’s game ball, though, goes to Drew Peterson. When Houston made their run in the second half, it was Peterson that fended them off. He was 4-for-4 from three in the second half, finishing the game with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

“I think we win that game more times than not,” Peterson said. Houston had the last word tonight, but the Owls were able to prove to the city, and themselves, they’re here to stay. “This loss shows us more about who we can be,” Robert Martin said. “I think we’re just starting to believe.”

Up Next

This was the last home game Rice basketball will play in the next four weeks. The Owls’ next set of contests start on Friday, Nov. 22 in the Island of the Bahamas Showcase. They’ll start things off with Milwaukee on Friday at 1:00 p.m., play either Liberty or Morgan State on Saturday. Sunday’s game is TBD.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

The Roost Podcast | Ep. 17 – 2019 Middle Tennessee Preview

By

Matthew previews Rice Football vs Middle Tennessee in Week 12 and recaps a busy week in Rice Athletics as the football team was on bye.

The bye week was a busy one for Rice Football and the Owls are still on their hunt for their first win. An extra week of prep work and time to get everyone healthy should aid their efforts. Stay tuned for a closer look at the matchups on both sides of the ball and an interview with Eric Henry of Underdog Dynasty in this week’s show.

You can always find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, Give a listen to Episode 17 below.

Episode 17 Notes

  • News and notes —  Rice Basketball has been busy. The men started the season 3-1 with the women starting 2-0 prior to an upset at the hands of SMU (completed after recording). More on how both teams have looked so far and some big-picture thoughts on their respective seasons.
  • Middle Tennessee Preview — The Blue Raiders are led by quarterback Asher O’Hara, one of the most talented athletes Rice has faced at the quarterback position this season. MTSU’s commitment to the ground game has a similar look and feel to a team like Army, which fits well with the Owls’ strengths. How the Rice offense responds, and who is healthy enough to play quarterback, are also brought into focus.
  • Eric Henry Interview — As someone who spends his days looking at the broader scope of Conference USA, Eric was able to give a great overview of where the conference stands entering the final weeks of the season. We talked championship game scenarios, surprising teams and results and, of course, the upcoming matchup between Rice and Middle Tennessee.

Where can you find us?

Download and subscribe to The Roost Podcast on any of your favorite podcast providers. The show is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and PodBean. Please consider leaving a review wherever you listen.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts

Rice Basketball: Owls overcome early deficit, blast Penn in home opener

By

Rice Basketball orchestrated an emphatic come-from-behind victory, stunning visiting Penn in dominant fashion on Saturday at Tudor Fieldhouse.

Home court advantage took a while to kick in on Saturday, but when it did, the Owls soared. Rice basketball fell behind 9-0 before the offense woke up, the defense locked down and Penn assumed a deer-in-the-headlights position for the remainder of a decisive Rice victory.

After making one of their first eight shots from the field in the first half, Rice knocked down nine of their next 12. Timely threes by Trey Murphy and Drew Peterson got the offense back in a groove. The Owls ended the first half on an emphatic 21-4 scoring run, having no trouble gettings points from seemingly anywhere on the court.

More: Rice women’s basketball cruises past Little Rock

On the other side of the court, the Rice defense held Penn to 2-of-16 shooting to close out the first half. The early absence of starters Robert Martin and Josh Parrish, who missed the first half for disciplinary reasons, might have slowed the defensive efforts initially, but the unit found their rhythm and held it the rest of the way.

Penn didn’t roll over in the second half, but the Quakers looked shellshocked and lost against the physicality of the Owls. A 12-point halftime lead quickly ballooned to 24. The Rice advantage would hover between 16-t0-20 points for the remainder of the contest thanks to strong performances from the likes of Max Fiedler (8 pts, 11 reb), Drew Peterson (13 pts, 8 reb, 3 blk) and Quincy Olivari (10 pts, 3 reb).

Head coach Scott Pera called it “probably the most complete game we’ve played on both ends” in his three years at Rice. That’s hard to argue after seeing the team dominate a Penn squad coming off a win over Alabama a few days ago. Not only did the Owls win, they took a double-digit lead and held it for the majority of the contest.

“It’s a big one for us,” Pera said. adding “I’m going to enjoy this for a couple of hours” before Rice hosts Wayland Baptist on Sunday.

Player of the Game

The comeback was unquestionably a team effort, with a host of players stepping up on both sides of the ball. Senior point guard Ako Adams corralled the individual highlights into a continuous stream of successes. He led the way with 17 points, four assists and 31 minutes played, all team highs.

His efforts as a facilitator were critical to the flow of the offense. Equally important was his lack of turnovers. After committing six turnovers in the opener against Arkansas, he had zero against Penn, a feat he’d achieved just twice in his previous 33 games.

“It’s all a mindset,” Adams said, who seemed as locked in as he’d been for a while during the Owls big day. Coach Pera called Adams’ second half sequence, which included two three-pointers and two assists in a string of consecutive possessions, “Maybe the best eight minutes of basketball he’s played since he’s been at Rice.”

Pera credits Adams’ game with a vigorous self-assessment following the Arkansas defeat. Adams, along with the rest of the team, determined to put a complete performance on the court on Saturday. “He was tremendous,” Pera said. “He prepared the right way. He had a great mindset and approach coming in. He played a great game.”

Up Next

It’ll be a short turn around for Rice basketball. Less than 24 hours after their game against Penn, the Owls host Wayland Baptist on Sunday. That game is scheduled to tip-off at 4:00 p.m. following the conclusion of Rice Volleyball’s Senior Day matchup with Western Kentucky.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts