Rice University
1-4
Ole Miss
4-1
Rice Drops 79-62 Decision to Ole Miss
11/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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By: Tim Andrzejewski (tim.andrzejewski@rice.edu)
Junior guard Connor Cashaw was the only Owl in double-figures, scoring a game-high 24 points. Graduate forward Dylan Jones scored a season-high eight points and senior Bishop Mency and freshman Malik Osborne each led the team with six rebounds.
The game began as a back-and-forth affair. Ole Miss started off the scoring but Cashaw hit a three. The Rebels then scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 10-5 lead just 2:23 into the game.
After Osborne made two free throws, Devontae Shuler made a three. Rice then scored six of the next seven points to pull within one point. The teams traded baskets over the next 1:45. But, Rice stepped up the defense, forcing Ole Miss to miss its next seven shots as the Owls went on a 9-0 run to take its largest lead of game, 27-21, with 6:05 to play in the half.
However, Ole Miss went on a 19-3 over the next 4:52 to take its largest lead of the half, 40-30. But, a layup from Mency followed by a three-pointer from Cashaw sent Rice into the break trailing 40-35.
Rice missed its first seven shots of the second half as Ole Miss scored the first eight points to take a 48-35 lead just 3:39 into the half. A.J. Lapray hit a three to give Rice its first points of the stanza, cutting the deficit to 10. However, Rice would get no closer, as the Rebels pushed their lead to as many as 23 points.
"I was hoping to carry over the second half of the UNLV game into the first half of tonight's game, and I thought for the most part, we did," said Rice head coach Scott Pera. "I thought we played 40 pretty good minutes in Las Vegas and 40 pretty bad minutes."
Rice shot just 33.3% from the field and 22.6% from three. Ole Miss connected on 48.3% from the floor and 37.5% from beyond the arc. Rice was also outrebounded, 39-to-38.
Rice returns home this Saturday, Nov. 25, when it hosts crosstown foe St. Thomas. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be livestreamed on CUSA.tv.
