The source for Rice sports news

  • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Offer Tracker
    • Roster
    • Schedule
    • NFL Owls
  • Premium
    • Patreon
    • Season Preview
    • Join / FAQ
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Store
    • News
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • About
    • Contact
  • Login

Fiedler, Olivari push Rice Basketball past Marshall in C-USA Tourney upset

March 10, 2021 By Matthew Bartlett

For the first time in 14 years, Rice basketball has won multiple conference tournament games. On Wednesday, the Owls upset Marshall.

Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera cracked a smile and said all the right things following his first Conference USA Tournament win on Tuesday over Southern Miss. In the midst of debriefing the win and discussing its significance as a building block for the program, Pera gave a sneak peek of what the Owls had prepared for their encore.

Tasked with upsetting the heavily favored Marshall Thundering Herd, Pera was fairly bold. “I don’t think the Marshall can guard Max [Fiedler] on the block,” he said, catching himself with a measured, “but we’ll see.”

The emphasis on Fiedler was clear from the start. Rice was overtly focused on feeding their big man inside, so much so that tipped passes became turnovers. But the Owls settled down and Fiedler settled in, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Pera chuckled post-game. “Every once in a while I get one right,” he mused.

Read More: Rice Football spring practice notebook – Week 1

That right call proved pivotal. Fiedler’s impact was felt the most at the onset of the second half. He made three consecutive shots from close range, turning a deadlocked game into a six-point Rice advantage.

“It’s a big difference for us in the last couple of years,” Pera said cheerily. “It’s different when it’s your 6-foot-10 guy who can pass like that too. Because teams can’t double him. We hope teams double him because we know we’re gonna get a wide-open shot.”

After that early burst, Fiedler’s scoring game way those shooters. Quincy Olivari has 23 points. Travis Evee, who only scored nine, contributed a crucial triple that helped extend what became an 11-2 Owls’ run.

Marshall hit their own flurry of threes down the stretch, but Rice hit their free throws to survive and advance. On Thursday they’ll play their third game in three days, something they never were asked to do in the regular season. Their depth will be tested, but Pera maintains they’re a ways from being out of gas.

“There is no thought in my mind besides tomorrow at six o’clock,” Pera said. “We will throw the kitchen sink, do whatever we need to do. We’ll play everybody, whatever we need to do. And if we’re fortunate enough to get by, we’ll figure it out from there.”

Pear held his cards a little closer to the vest this time around. How will the Owls attack the Blazers on Thursday? We’ll find out soon enough. One thing’s for certain, Rice won’t go down without a fight. Olivari said it best when recapping the win: “When everybody’s rolling, it’s hard to guard us.”

Rice basketball is scheduled to play UAB at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow on ESPN+.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Basketball, Archive Tagged With: Max Fiedler, Quincy Olivari, Rice basketball, Travis Evee

Rice Basketball: Owls ice cold in road sweep by Louisiana Tech

February 27, 2021 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice basketball dropped both games to Louisiana Tech this weekend, ending the regular season with a 6-10 record in Conference USA play.

It was a tough two-game stint for Rice basketball, who were swept by Louisiana Tech on the road this weekend. Rice has lost four in a row after sweeping Southern Miss at home to start the month.

On Friday night, the Owls came out cold. Louisiana Tech was red hot. Rice shot 29.0 percent from the field in the first half and 35.3 percent from the field in the second. Louisiana Tech shot 63.6 percent from the field in the first half, doubling the Owls efficiency — and their scoring.

Down 28 points entering the break, the hole proved too big to overcome. Rice shot marginally better down the stretch, but outside of Cameron Sheffield (17 points on 5-of-8 shooting) nobody had a particularly strong outing.

Louisiana Tech fell somewhat back to earth on Saturday, but Rice was unable to string together the consistency necessary to weather the Bulldogs’ runs. Rice led 21-15 in the first half, but watched that lead dissipate before the halftime buzzer. Not even Riley Abercombie’s strong day from deep (15 points on 5-for-8 from three) was enough to reinvigorate the Rice offense.

Player Spotlight | Max Fiedler

Fiedler’s importance to this team was demonstrated both on and off the court this weekend. Rice had no rhythm with him absent on Friday. On Saturday, Fiedler delivered a double-double, his tenth of the season. He overcame foul trouble and the challenges of playing with a facemask to give the Owls a chance.

Stat Corner | Ice cold

Sometimes it’s not your night. That was abundantly clear on Friday when the Owls seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket. 11 Owls attempted a field goal in the game. Just three — Sheffield, Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee — made more than one shot. Missing Max Fiedler, who left the game after getting hit in the face, compounded the shooting woes.

Listen: The Roost Podcast Offseason Interview Series

But Fiedler was on the court Saturday when the Owls shooting hit another rut. Rice had a lead over Louisiana Tech midway through the first half. Then the Bulldogs went on a 25-6 run over the final eight minutes. It didn’t matter which combination of players Rice had on the court, the shots weren’t falling.

Rice cut the deficit to four points in the second half. Louisiana Tech responded with a 16-2 run.

Even when considering the volume of shots Rice attempts from three, the Owls still average roughly a 45 percent clip from the floor this season. The Owls finished below 35 percent in both games over the weekend. That’s not going to cut it in the conference tournament.

Up Next

Unlike the women’s team, which has two more games left against North Texas, the men are scheduled to be off this coming weekend. Barring a last-minute game added to the slate, the Owls’ next action will come in Frisco at the conference tournament in March.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Basketball, Archive Tagged With: Cameron Sheffield, Max Fiedler, Quincy Olivari, Rice basketball, Riley Abercrombie, Travis Evee

Rice Basketball: 2020-2021 Mid-conference play State of the Program

January 31, 2021 By Matthew Bartlett

After a hot start, Rice basketball hit a rough patch in the early portion of Conference USA play. Can the Owls rebound and finish strong?

Rice basketball head coach Scott Pera couldn’t have asked for much better than his team’s 9-3 start to the 2020-2021 season. The Owls surged through non-conference play, albeit against a relatively light slate, and started out C-USA action 3-1 with a road win at UTEP.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

Since that win over UTEP, they’ve gone 1-4, beating Old Dominion at home before losing a rematch with the Monarchs then dropping both games at UAB and two more to North Texas. The underlying concerns for the losing streak can be traced back to a few key reasons, some within the Owls control, and some beyond.

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Basketball, Archive Tagged With: Cavit Ege Havsa, Chris Mullins, Mylyjael Poteat, Quincy Olivari, Rice basketball, Travis Evee

Rice Basketball: Shorthanded Owls drop pair vs UAB

January 23, 2021 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice basketball had to reach deep into the bench for a two-game set against UAB but walked away with their first winless weekend of the season.

Rice basketball started the season remarkably well, 10-5 after their first 15 games. Tied for the most wins in the West entering the weekend, the Owls had a chance to seize outright control of first place in the West with a strong showing against division-leading UAB this weekend. Rice trade blows with the UAB in both games, but it was the Blazers who threw the last punch in both contests.

It was an up-and-down weekend for the Owls from start to finish. Both teams seesawed back in forth in both games. Rice made the first shot in the opener before UAB went on an 11-0 run. The Owls immediately responded with a 17-6 run of their own.

Trailing by nine at the break, the rallies continued. Rice went on a 12-0 run. Minutes later, UAB punched back with their own 12-0. That rally proved to be the decider, giving the Blazers enough breathing room to earn the game one win.

The second game was more of the same. Rice fell behind 18-7 early on. Less than five minutes later, they led 21-20. Then it was a 31-30 Rice advantage the collapsed into a 50-39 UAB lead at the halftime buzzer only for Rice to explode out of halftime on a 13-3 run. Once more, UAB had an answer, pulling away once again and holding on for the duration.

Quincy Olivari led the team in scoring in both games, dropping 17 points on Friday and another 21 points on Saturday. No other players tallied double-digit points in both games, but Max Fiedler corralled 19 total rebounds over the course of the weekend.

Player Spotlight | Mylyjael Poteat

A freshman from North Carolina, the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Poteat had played in three of the Owls’ first 15 games before the series against UAB where he appeared in both contests. He played in 15 minutes on Friday and 14 minutes on Saturday, both higher than his 10 total minutes played across his first three collegiate games.

Poteat scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He had two blocks and saw a fair amount of success on the inside, giving Rice a physical presence at the rim. He was ready when his number was called, and the Owls needed every minute he provided.

Stat Corner | Three players tripled their average minutes Saturday

Travis Evee wasn’t available this weekend, forcing the Owls to turn to their bench for more minutes than they typically would. Chris Mullins was nicked up on Friday and did not play in Saturday’s game. Ege Havsa did not play Saturday either. That left Rice with a lot of minutes to fill on Saturday.

  • Jake Lieppert entered the weekend averaging 8.0 minutes per game (eight games). He played 30 minutes on Saturday
  • Cameron Sheffield’s playing time went from 8.9 minutes to 35 minutes
  • Mylyjael Poteat’s playing time went from 3.3 minutes to 14 minutes

Payton Moore was two minutes shy of double his per game average, playing 21 minutes compared to his typical 11.5 minutes.

To rely on so many reserves and still put up a puncher’s chance is an encouraging sign. Had Rice had its full complement of players, they probably would have split this series — and they almost managed to get there anyway.

Up Next

The Owls’ upcoming series is somewhat of an oddity this season. Rather than a Friday/Saturday back-to-back at the same local, Rice will play North Texas on Thursday in Houston and Saturday in Denton. It’s the only scheduled series to take place in two different venues this season. North Texas did not play this past weekend. Their scheduled series against Old Dominion was postponed.

📸 @LysakerPhotos
January 15, 2021 : during the game between the ODU Monarchs and the Rice Owls at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, Texas. Rice wins 69-59 (Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics). Used with permission.
Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Archive, Basketball Tagged With: Cameron Sheffield, Chris Mullins, game recap, Jake Lieppert, Max Fiedler, Mylyjael Poteat, Payton Moore, Quincy Olivari, Rice basketball, Travis Evee

Rice Basketball 2021: Owls battle back for split with UTEP

January 9, 2021 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice basketball split a hard-fought two-game set with UTEP, earning their most impressive road win of the season in the process.

It was a wild weekend in the desert for Rice basketball. The Owls were welcomed to El Paso by a garage of three-pointers in their opening game of the two-game set. UTEP hit five triples in the first five minutes of game one, screaming out to a 21-9 lead.

The Owls showed poise and maturity with their response. They battled back to take the lead, erasing a 12-point deficit in a matter of minutes with only one three-pointer to hastened the rally. The dogfight would continue into the second half before another Miners’ surge put things away.

UTEP came out hot again on Saturday, but this time the Rice comeback found staying power. Monster days from Travis Evee (21 points with five three-pointers) and Max Fiedler (19 points and 13 rebounds) propelled the Owls to victory.

More: Rice Women’s Basketball sweeps UTEP at home

Head coach Scott Pera was noticeably amped in the aftermath on Saturday. “That is a terrific basketball team that we just beat on their home floor,” he said, taking responsibility for gameplan decisions on Friday and lauding his team for responding well in the rematch.

The win gives Rice a split on the road, something head coach Scott Pera mentioned his team was aiming to achieve any time they left the confines of Tudor Fieldhouse this season. It was a physical, hard-fought victory, and one that Pera called a “statement” for the steadily rising Owls.

Player Spotlight | Max Fiedler

Fiedler began the season with three straight double-doubles, a strong start for the second year player. That would prove to be just the beginning for Fiedler who has been red hot from the field in the past five outings. Starting with a Dec. 21 game against New Orleans, here are Fiedler’s last five lines:

  • New Orleans: 2-for-2, 7 points, 12 rebonds
  • UTSA: 5-for-6, 12 points, 11 rebounds
  • UTSA: 8-for-8, 18 points, 4 rebounds
  • UTEP: 10-for-11, 22 points, 5 rebounds
  • UTEP: 9-for-15, 19 points, 13 rebounds

Altogether, that’s 34-for-42 from the field (81 percent) and an average of 15.6 points and nine rebounds per game. Rice lacked an interior presence this commanding last season. Not only have Fiedler filled that void, he’s turned into an impact player for the Owls on both sides of the court.

Stat Corner | Dependable from deep

Rice basketball shoots a lot of threes, that’s nothing new, but their accuracy from downtown has been noticeably better. Rice made 30 percent or fewer of its three point shots in 13 of 32 games last season, a rate of 41 percent. The Owls have turned that statistic upside down this year, failing to reach a 30 percent success rate from three just once in 12 games.

The Owls made 11 of 25 threes on Friday (44 percent) and eight of 17 threes on Saturday (47 percent). If you’re going to live by the three, you’d best be good at it. And Rice is one of the best teams in Conference USA from three.

Up Next

Rice returns home next weekend to face Conference USA East-leading Old Dominion. The Monarchs, like the Owls, are the only three-win team in their division. ODU split with FIU in their opening series before sweeping Florida Atlantic this past weekend.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Baseball blows past PVAMU at home
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR David Kasemervisz commits to Owls
  • Hickson gem propels Rice Baseball to series win over Charlotte
  • Rice Football Recruiting: WR Artis Cole commits to Owls

Filed Under: Basketball, Archive, Women's Athletics Tagged With: game recap, Max Fiedler, Rice basketball, Scott Pera, Travis Evee

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • Next Page »
  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
  4. Item 4
  5. Item 5
  • Rice Football
  • Rice Basketball
  • Rice Baseball, David Pierce
  • Rice Football
  • “He’s a Bulldog”: Parker Smith’s Journey to Rice Baseball Ace
Become a patron at Patreon!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter