Rice Plays Host to Texas at Toyota Center
12/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2007
HOUSTON - Rice will travel downtown Saturday as the Owls take on No. 4 Texas in the Toyota Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
The game will be broadcast by CSTV, will be available on riceowls.com and will also be broadcast by 97.5 The Ticket.
While Autry Court on the Rice University campus undergoes a $25 million renovation, the Owls are playing their home games in three Houston-area venues. The Toyota Center is the third home venue the team has utilized this season. Rice is also playing home games at Reliant Arena and the Leonard E. Merrell Center in suburban Katy.
Saturday, the Owls, 2-5, take on a Texas team which is looking to start a season 9-0 for the first time since the 1981-82 season.
Texas has already beaten two Top 10 teams - then, No. 7 Tennessee (97-78) and then, No. 2 UCLA (63-61).
The Longhorns' probable lineup includes a pair of juniors and three sophomores. Guards A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin lead Texas in scoring this season. Abrams is averaging 19.3 points an outing while Augustin contributes 19.1 points per game and is also averaging seven assists. Abrams already has 31 three-pointers in eight games.
Sophomore swingman Damion James is averaging 11.8 points and leads the squad with an 8.6 rebounding average.
Unlike Rice, which has used a different starting five in each of the team's first seven games, Texas has went with the same starting five all season.
Dating back prior to the year, the injury bug has bit the Owls. And since the start of the season Rice has lost two players - guards Chris Hagan (knee) and Cory Pflieger (ankle). Hagan will miss the remainder of the season while Pflieger is likely to return in four to five weeks.
Senior forwards Patrick Britton and Paulius Packevicius have led the Owls this season.
Britton is coming off a career-high, 24-point night at Texas State on Wednesday. The San Antonio native had scored 14 points in back-to-back games last week en route to being named to the All-Tournament Team at the Hawkeye Challenge. He is currently averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Packevicius is coming off a career rebounding night at Texas State. He pulled down 15 boards in addition to scoring 13 points. The game marked his fourth double-double of the season and his career. He is averaging 11.3 points and leads Conference USA with a 10.1 rebounding average.
Texas holds a 128-59 lead in the series with Rice which dates back to both teams' days in the Southwest Conference. Since the SWC dissolved, Rice and Texas have met just once. The Longhorns posted an 85-58 win over Rice Dec. 5, 2005 in Houston.
In games played in Houston, Texas holds a 53-40 advantage.
