Owls Play at Texas A&M Thursday
12/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 21, 2011
Rice Game Notes 
Texas A&M Game Notes
Rice plays its first true road game outside Houston proper on Thursday when the Owls travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast by 1560 The Game (KGOW) as well as televised by Fox Sports Southwest.
Rice, now 7-4 following back-to-back home losses, is playing its entire nonconference schedule within the borders of the Lone Star State and closes out the first half of its season by playing its next three of four on the road. In losses to Lamar and Temple in the past week, the Owls rallied back from double-point deficits but comebacks in both games fell short. Rice dropped an 87-81 decision over the weekend to Lamar before Temple grabbed a 77-70 win on Monday in Tudor Fieldhouse.
Against Temple, Rice rallied back from a 13-point deficit late in the second half to score the period's final nine points and then scored the first five points after the break to take the lead. Freshman Jarelle Reischel sparked Rice with six points during the 9-0 run.
Monday's game marked Rice junior Arsalan Kazemi's 35th double-double. He scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Temple. For the year, Kazemi is now averaging 14.4 points and 12.2 rebounds. He began the week as the nation's leader in rebounding.
Junior guard Tamir Jackson is averaging 14.0 points for the season and has scored in double figures in the Owls' last seven games.
Texas A&M, now 8-2 and receiving votes in national polls, had a six-game winning streak halted by Florida in its last game. The Gators posted an 84-64 win in a game played in Sunrise, Fla., last Saturday.
Florida scored 22 points off 14 Texas A&M turnovers and the Gators made more free throws (23-of-30) than the Aggies attempted (7-of-12).
Texas A&M forward Kris Middleton, on the watch lists for both the Wooden and Naismith Awards, has come back from surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus following the Aggies' opener to score in double figures in his first two games back. Middleton scored 24 points two weeks ago against ULM and has now averaged 14.0 points through three games played this season.
The Aggies have three other starters scoring in double figures - guard Elston Turner (12.9 ppg), and forwards David Loubeau (12.0 ppg) and Ray Turner (11.9 ppg). Both Rice and Texas A&M are 7-0 when outrebounding their opponents this season.
Rice began the week ranked 11th nationally in rebounding (+9.2 margin prior to Temple game) and Texas A&M ranks 14th (+8.8 margin). Rice enters Thursday's game with a +8.0 rebounding margin.
Texas A&M averages 40 rebounds per game but the Aggies do not have a player averaging over 6.0 boards per game. However, Texas A&M has four players averaging five rebounds or better.
Rice vs. Texas A&M Notes
Rice resumes one of its all-time longest streaks when the Owls travel to Texas A&M ... the two teams first met during Rice University's first collegiate season of basketball (Feb. 6, 1915) ... Texas A&M holds a 106-81 edge in its series with the Owls including wins in the last three meetings.
Texas A&M first-year head coach Billy Kennedy was a member of Ben Braun's initial staff at Cal (1996-97) ... Kennedy served on the Cal coaching staff for four seasons (1993-97).
While the Owls are shooting 67.6 percent from the free throw line for the year, Texas A&M has also struggled ... the Aggies have converted on just 62.4 percent of their shots at the line ... Rice has converted more free throws (213 in 11 games) than Texas A&M has attempted in its 10 games this season (165).
