Rice University
-910, 34 CUSA
Tulane
-612, 24 CUSA
Tulane Beats Rice, 70-53
1/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2006
Houston -- The Tulane Green Wave, facing a three-point deficit at 47-44 with 5:16 remaining, scored the next 14 points to take the lead and control of the game to win 70-53 in front of 2,548 fans at Autry Court. The Green Wave then closed out the game by hitting its free throws during a 12-6 finish. It marks the worst home loss for Rice since it lost to Louisiana Tech 70-58 on March 4, 2004.
The Owls started the game by making 7 of their first 9 field goals to take an early 15-6 lead. But, Tulane, after calling a time-out went on a 17-6 run to end the half as Rice could only muster one lone field goal in its next 12 attempts in the last 12 minutes of the half.
Tulane then started the second-half on a 11-4 run for a nine-point cushion at 34-25. Rice then shifted gears and used a half-court trapping defense to get back into the game using a 14-5 run. In that stretch, the Owls made 10 free throws.
The Owls were able to take the 47-44 lead on a pair of Lorenzo Williams' three-point plays, before Tulane rattled off 14 consecutive points.
Williams led Rice with a game-high 25 points and J.R. Harrison added 11. Morris Almond, the league's leading scorer, was 2-2 on his first two attempts but then couldn't find the range and went 0-9 to finish with 7 points and a team-high 8 rebounds. He picked up two fouls in the first-half and played only 11 minutes.
Tulane was led in scoring by Quincy Davis and Ryan Williams who each had 14 points as the Green Wave shot 55 percent from the field to Rice's 33 percent.
The Owls have the week off before Memphis comes to town for next Saturday's 6:05 pm game at Autry Court.
