Rice University
9-18, 4-9
UCF
16-11, 6-7
Rice Holds Off UCF Rally, 69-66
2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2009
Rice vs. UCF Game Book in PDF Format 
Final Stats
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Rodney Foster scored 22 points, driving inside for a layup with 13.1 seconds that put the Owls up by three points as Rice defeated UCF 69-66 on the road Wednesday.
Rice ended a 17-game Conference USA road losing streak which dated back to 2007 with the win. The Owls are now 9-18 and 4-9 in league play heading into Saturday's showdown with crosstown rival Houston in Tudor Fieldhouse. Tip-off for Saturday's game is 3 p.m.
UCF, which fell to 16-11 and 6-7, rallied from a 20-point, second-half deficit on Wednesday.
Sophomore center Trey Stanton's three-pointer with 6:57 to play gave Rice a 65-45 lead. But soon after, UCF scored 16 unanswered points to cut the Owls' lead to one point, 67-66 with 1:20 to play.
UCF senior guard Jermaine Taylor's offensive play coupled with the Knights' full-court press sparked the rally. Taylor scored a career-high 45 points contributing 26 of the Knights' 30 second-half points. It was the most points scored by a Conference USA player this season as well as the most points scored by an individual player against Rice.
Taylor's three-pointer with 3:05 remaining cut the Owls' lead to 67-57. From that point, Rice turned the ball over on its next five possessions and the miscues led to UCF cutting the lead down to a point. The Knights' rally was capped by a three-point play by Taylor with 1:20 remaining that left Rice holding a 68-67 lead.
UCF looked to have a chance to take the lead after a missed Foster three-pointer but Connor Frizzelle stole a pass out of Taylor's hands near midcourt with 40 seconds on the clock. Rice called timeout with 18 seconds to play before Foster drove inside for a layup to give the Owls their three-point lead.
Taylor missed a three-pointer in the final seconds that would have tied the game.
Taylor finished the night 14-of-29 from the field, made 5-of-13 three-pointers and connected on 12-of-13 free throws. He also had seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Foster was 7-for-14 from the field and made 6-of-11 three-pointers to lead the Owls. He also had a game-high seven assists. As a team, Rice converted on 12-of-24 three-point attempts and shot 52 percent from the field.
Stanton added 14 points and had six rebounds. Frizzelle scored 13 points for the Owls.
Rice fell behind 11-4 early but late in the first half enjoyed a 17-point lead when Frizzelle put the Owls out in front 39-22 with a three-pointer with 3:23 to play in the period.
At one point in the period Rice went on a 20-2 run that gave the Owls a 30-18 lead. Foster made back-to-back three-pointers to give the Owls their first lead at 18-16 with 11:02 to play in the period. Cory Pflieger and Stanton also knocked down three-pointers during the rally.
The Owls' double-digit lead would not make it until halftime.
Rice led by 16, 43-27 with just over a minute to play but Taylor sparked a 9-0 run to end the half.
Taylor was fouled by Foster while making a three-pointer and made the ensuing free throw. On an out-of-bounds play following a UCF deflection in the backcourt, Foster was called for an offensive foul. Kenrick Zondervan scored on a layup to cut the Rice lead to 43-33.
Taylor Young then stole a pass at midcourt on the Owls' next possession. Rice would tip the ball out of bounds with five seconds to play in the half but Taylor would get free for a three-pointer in the corner at the buzzer and the Owls' lead was 43-36 at the break.
