Rice University
2-7
Stephen F. Austin
9-1
Owls Fall to Stephen F. Austin, 81-62
12/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Tim Andrzejewski (tim.andrzejewski@rice.edu)
Junior Connor Cashaw had 13 points and five rebounds and sophomore Robert Martin added 13 points. Freshman Malik Osborne scored eight points and grabbed a season-high nine boards while sophomore Ako Adams added eight points.
Cashaw got things started for Rice (2-7) with a pair of free throws. After an SFA (9-1) three-pointer, Adams made a running jumper. However, the Owls missed their next six shots while turning the ball over eight times, as Stephen F. Austin went on an 18-6 run to take a 21-10 lead midway through the first half.
A Cashaw jumper and dunk from Austin Meyer got Rice to within nine points. SFA pushed the lead to 13, but two straight Robert Martin baskets forced a Lumberjack timeout with 6:29 to play. However, Stephen F. Austin went on a 15-6 run over the next 3:45 to takes its largest lead of the half, 42-24. But, Rice answered by scoring six of the final eight points to cut the deficit to 44-30 at the break.
The Lumberjacks scored seven of the first eight points in the second half to take a 20-point lead. Rice then scored eight of the next 10 points to pull within 53-39 just five minutes into the second half. However, the Owls would get no closer as SFA led by as many as 22 points.
"I thought it got away from us there in the first half," said Rice head coach Scott Pera. "We were doing a lot of good things in drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. I thought it had a chance to be more of an eight or seven point game, but we had trouble knocking down the free throws. Me missed some front ends (and) missed a bunch of other ones. That really hurt us in trying to keep it close and weather the storm."
Rice shot 42.5% (17-of-40) from the field, but was just 1-of-17 (5.9%) from three. Stephen F. Austin connected on 43.9% (29-of-66) from the floor and 45.5% (10-of-22) from beyond the arc. The Owls shot a season-high 46 free throws but connected on just 27 (58.7%).
Rice returns to the court next Thursday, Dec. 14, when it hosts St. Edward's in the annual School House Mania game. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CT and the game will be livestreamed on ESPN3.
