Rice Takes on UALR Tuesday
11/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2007
HOUSTON - Rice will close out a three-game home stand Tuesday when the Owls' play host to Arkansas-Little Rock in Reliant Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Rice enters the game at 0-3 and has not played since a 61-55 loss against Richmond last week. UALR is 4-1 and coming off back-to-back home wins. The Trojans defeated Centenary (72-64) and Louisiana Tech (63-49) last week. UALR's only loss was a 68-58 decision against Texas-Arlington.
The Trojans are led by junior college transfer Shane Edwards who is averaging 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds. Against Centenary, Edwards scored a career-high 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds. He scored nine points and had four boards against Louisiana Tech.
Off the bench, sophomore Mike Smith is averaging 8.8 points and leads the squad in rebounds at 8.0 caroms per game.
Through three games, senior Paulius Packevicius leads Rice in both scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.7 rpg). Packevicius began the year with a pair of double-doubles and is coming off a 12-point, eight rebound effort in last week's game against Richmond.
Rice has used three different lineups in as many games this season. Eight different players have started this year for the Owls.
In last week's game against Richmond, two true freshmen made their first career starts. Point guard Jasen Williams played 33 minutes, scoring 11 points to go along with five assists, a steal and a block. Forward Suleiman Braimoh also made his first career start for the Owls and played 20 minutes. He finished with five points and four rebounds.
After starting the first two games of the season, junior Cory Pflieger came off the bench to post a team-leading, 14-point effort in last week's game against Richmond. For the year, Pflieger is averaging eight points an outing.
Tuesday's game will be the Owls' final contest in Reliant Arena until the team opens Conference USA play against Marshall on Jan. 9. Rice will play its next home game in the Toyota Center when the squad plays host to Texas on Dec. 8. The team's only other home game in December is slated for Dec. 29 in the Merrell Center located in Katy.
Hagan Sidelined: Rice sophomore point guard Chris Hagan will miss the remainder of the season after surgery last week for a ruptured patella tendon. The injury to Hagan's right knee occurred last Tuesday in the Owls' game against Richmond.
Hagan averaged 17 minutes of playing time in the Owls' first three games of the 2006-07 season and had seven assists. He played in all 32 Rice games last year as a freshman.
