Owls Take on Texas Sunday at Tudor Fieldhouse
11/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 27, 2009
Rice Game Notes l Texas Game Notes
For the first time in more than 10 years, the Owls play host to Texas on the Rice University campus as the two teams meet Sunday in Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast by CBS College Sports as well as heard in Houston on ESPN 97.5 as well as via the worldwide web at RiceOwls.com.
Rice last played Texas on campus in 1996 when both schools were members of the Southwest Conference. Rice dropped a 79-64 decision after beating the Longhorns 80-69 earlier in the year in Austin. Since then, the two teams have met twice in Houston at the Toyota Center.
Texas enters the game ranked No. 3 in the country. The Longhorns are off to a 4-0 start, last week winning the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Championship Round played in Kansas City, Mo.
Texas beat Iowa 85-60 then knocked off Pittsburgh 78-62.
Through four games, senior swingman Damion James is averaging 17.3 points and 10.8 rebounds to lead the Longhorns. Dexter Pittman, a native of nearby Rosenberg, is averaging 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds. Pittman also has seven of Texas' 31 blocks.
The Longhorns are shooting 54.6 percent from the field, outscoring opponents by 30 points and outrebounding them by better than 10 boards per contest.
At 4-1, Rice is off to its best start since the 2004-05 team won its first six games. The 2004-05 squad posted a 19-12 record and made an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.
Rice junior center Trey Stanton entered the Furman game shooting just 22 percent from the field but went 9-for-15 en route to a career-high, 23-point night against the Paladins. Stanton also grabbed a season-high nine rebounds, had three assists and two steals in the victory.
Stanton raised his scoring average to 12 points per game.
Sophomore guard Connor Frizzelle is averaging 12 points to lead the Owls in scoring. Freshman point guard Tamir Jackson has scored in double figures the last four games and is averaging 10.4 points and leads the team with 13 assists and 12 steals through five games.
Texas/Rice Game Tickets
Less than 1,000 tickets remain for Sunday's game. Tickets are available through the Athletic Ticket Office Friday until 5 p.m. as well as online throughout the weekend at RiceOwls.com. The Athletic Ticket Office will open Sunday at 9 a.m. for game-day sales.
