Rice University
4-1
Northern Iowa
4-1
Rice Comeback Falls Short Against UNI
11/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2011
Final Stats
Northern Iowa v Rice Game Book 
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Rice cut a second-half, double-digit Northern Iowa lead to as few as three points with one minute to play but Marc Sonnen's three-pointer with 28 seconds left halted the Owls' rally as UNI grabbed a 64-60 win Friday at the South Padre Island Invitational.
The loss was the Owls' first of the season. Rice, 4-1, will wrap up play at the tournament Saturday when the team takes on Iowa State in a 6:30 p.m. game which will be televised by CBS Sports Network as will as broadcast by 1560 The Game (KGOW). Northern Iowa improved to 4-1 with the win and plays Providence on Saturday.
Northern Iowa, which led by as many as 14 points in the game, had a 55-45 lead when Jake Koch rebounded a Johnny Moran missed layup and followed with a basket with 4:18 to play.
Free throws by Tamir Jackson and Arsalan Kazemi followed by a 1-for-2 performance at the line by Jackson cut the UNI lead to 55-50. Following a Seth Tuttle turnover, Jackson found Kazemi open for a baseline jam with one minutes to play.
But at the other end of the floor with the shot clock winding down, Koch found Sonnen for the open trey that put UNI back up in front 58-52.
Despite back down by six, Rice continued to battle. A Connor Frizzelle three-pointer with two seconds to play cut the Panthers' lead to 62-60 but Anthony James' two free throws after a quick Rice foul accounted for the game's final points.
Rice was led by Arsalan Kazemi's 18-point, 12-rebound effort which marked the junior's 31st career double-double.
Jackson added 15 points while Frizzelle finished with 10.
Northern Iowa's Deon Mitchell scored 16 points to lead the Panthers but was held scoreless in the second half. James had 14 while Koch finished with 10.
Rice looked to take some momentum into the locker room by trailing by as many as 12 late in the first half.
Jackson drove for a layup with 41 seconds to play in the period. At the other end of the floor, the Owls got a stop, holding UNI without an attempt when the shot clock expired.
Rice set up a final play with Arsalan Kazemi taking a midcourt pass, tossing the ball to Jackson in the corner who was fouled. The officials said Jackson had yet to go up for a shot and Rice was given the ball out of bounds with .18 seconds left. Jackson's final shot attempt came after the halftime buzzer.
Northern Iowa began the game with four, three-point baskets, the last cutting an early Rice lead to 15-14. UNI shot 56 percent from the field, including a 5-for-9 performance from three-point range. The Owls made six of their first 12 shot attempts but for the half were 10-for-25 (40 percent).
