Rice Plays Host to Sacramento State Friday
11/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2009
Rice Game Notes 
l Sacramento State Notes
HOUSTON - Rice University opens its 96th basketball season by taking on Sacramento State Friday night during the first day of the Rice Basketball Challenge presented by Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Medical Center. Tip-off for Friday's game is set for 7:30 p.m. in Tudor Fieldhouse.
Houston Baptist will play South Alabama in the first game of Friday's double-header at 5 p.m. All four teams are beginning their seasons with the tournament.
The Challenge continues Saturday with the Owls taking on South Alabama at 7:30 p.m. Rice plays host to Houston Baptist Sunday in the final game of the tournament.
Earlier in the week Rice posted a 79-71 win over Angelo State in an exhibition game. Rice was led by a pair of returning sophomores.
Connor Frizzelle scored a team-high 21 points while Lucas Kuipers finished the game with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double.
The Owls' first opponent, Sacramento State, was 2-27 last year. Second-year coach Brian Katz guided his team to a 63-45 win over Menlo last week in an exhibition game.
True freshman John Dickson had 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals to lead Sacramento State to its exhibition win. Six different Hornet players had at least seven points including senior point guard Mike Marcial who finished with nine points and four rebounds.
South Alabama is coming off a 20-13 season a year ago while Houston Baptist was 5-25 last season.
South Alabama beat West Florida 79-63 in an exhibition game last week. Junior guard Tim Williams scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Jaguars to the exhibition win. HBU posted a 99-48 exhibition win over the University of the Ozarks last Saturday. Senior guard Wendell Preadom was 10-for-12 from the field and finished with 26 points.
Rice will be playing three games in three days to open a season for just the third time in program history. The last time Rice opened with three in three days the Owls won the BP Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Ak.
